Rescued after cliff fall

Photo: Wildcat Helicopters

UPDATE: 9:25 a.m.

Vernon's winch rescue team on board a BC Air Rescue helicopter winched a snow biker to safety at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday after the man spent the night outside in the Shuswap backcountry.

"He had snowmobiled over a cliff," explained Ian Wilson, vice-president of Wildcat Helicopters. "He was uninjured, but cold from his night out in the snow."

The rescue happened five miles southeast of Sicamous, in the Morton Peak area.

Wilson said the snow biker was airlifted to Silver Star ski hill with two responders.

Vernon and Shuswap search and rescue volunteers spent the night on snowmobiles and snowshoes searching through steep and dangerous terrain for the man.

The machine was damaged in the fall and will likely be airlifted out under contract to the owner.

Original story 8:06 a.m.

A missing snow biker was located by a search team and air lifted out of the Shuswap backcountry by chopper Tuesday morning.

Vernon Search & Rescue joined searchers in the Shuswap looking for the missing male in the Hunter's Range area after a request for mutual aid about 7:30 p.m. Monday.

"Search teams on snowmobile and snowshoes tracked the subject through the night into steep, dangerous terrain," said Trevor Honigman, VSAR spokesperson.

Castanet has been told that a young Vernon man went missing while out snow biking with a group in the Kingfisher-Mara area yesterday.

VSAR's specialized helicopter winch team airlifted the man out of a steep and forested area.