Two women were rescued from a ledge in the Beaufort Range on Wednesday by the Alberni Valley Rescue Squad.
The group was called just before 7 p.m. by the Port Alberni RCMP after two French tourists became stranded near the end of what was to be a three-month coastal hiking adventure.
Members of the group managed to make phone contact with the hikers and determined the best rescue option was to bring in a helicopter from Ascent Helicopters to get to the scene.
Once there, rescuers were lowered from the helicopter and then had to rappel close to 23 metres to get to the women.
The women were put into special harnesses and lifted to safety.
“From the time we received the call to when the two subjects were safely in the helicopter with rescuers was approximately two and a half hours,” said search manager Rick Johns. “Without this capability, it is very likely rescuers would have been working to rescue these two well into the next day.”
A second group of rescuers was also on the ground during the incident, ready to act if the helicopter had to return to its base due to low light or other emergencies.
The Alberni Valley team and other search-and-rescue groups around the province advise people venturing into the outdoors to have multiple means of communication and to have a route planned.
Search-and-rescue teams can be reached around the province by calling 911.
