UPDATE: Injured Kamloops hiker rescued by helicopter and rope team | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Kamloops News

UPDATE: Injured Kamloops hiker rescued by helicopter and rope team

An RCMP helicopter surveys the scene in the Cinnamon Ridge area of Kamloops.
Original Publication Date March 25, 2017 - 1:57 PM

KAMLOOPS – A hiker, known to his stepson as somewhat of a "daredevil," was rescued today after he was stranded for several hours on a steep ridge.

Kamloops Search and Rescue manager Alan Hobler says the man has been rescued and sustained only minor injures after falling about 40 feet.

Rescue crews extracted Steven Latchford from the ridge after he fell while hiking with friends in the Cinnamon Ridge area of Kamloops today, March 25.

Steven Latchford can be seen here in the bottom lefthand side of the photo. Latchford was stuck for several hours as crews organized his rescue.
Steven Latchford can be seen here in the bottom lefthand side of the photo. Latchford was stuck for several hours as crews organized his rescue.

According to his stepson, Bryan Johnson, at around 11 a.m. Latchford was hiking with two friends when the terrain started getting rough. Johnson says his stepfather decided to press on when his friends turned back.

"He must have slipped and fell at least 40 feet. The fall hurt his leg and hand," Johnson said.

After the fall, Latchford called Johnson's mother and then contacted rescue crews.

When the 16-year-old Johnson arrived at the base of the trails with his mother, he ran to the hills looking for his stepfather.

"I don't know how all I got all the way up there in skate shoes," Johnson said, shaking his head. "I just started to sprint up the hill, I wanted to get up there. I know this area really well. I've been hiking these hills for the past eight years."

A bylaw officer, Bryan Johnson and his mother look on as rescue crews attempt to extract his stepfather, Steven Latchford, from a precarious spot in the Cinnamon Ridge area of Kamloops today, March 25, 2017.
A bylaw officer, Bryan Johnson and his mother look on as rescue crews attempt to extract his stepfather, Steven Latchford, from a precarious spot in the Cinnamon Ridge area of Kamloops today, March 25, 2017.

An RCMP helicopter surveying the scene made several passes at the ridge where Latchford was stranded and picked up Johnson, who made it about halfway up and stopped.

KSAR search manager Alan Hobler says crews were called out at approximately 1:45 p.m. and the helicopter and winch team were deployed at about 3 p.m.

"This was an organized search effort with KFR, SAR and RCMP,"  Allan Mole, Kamloops Search and Rescue Manager added.

Plenty of collaboration from Kamloops Search and Rescue, Kamloops Fire Rescue and RCMP, led to Latchford's safe rescue.

Search and Rescue crews survey the scene where the injured hiker is stranded.
Search and Rescue crews survey the scene where the injured hiker is stranded.

- This story was updated at 3:20 p.m. with information from Allan Mole with Kamloops Search and Rescue.
- This story was updated at 6 p.m. with information from Alan Hobler with Kamloops Search and Rescue.


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