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Teen Hikers Rescued 12 Hours Into Google Maps Hike
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- Three teenage boys underestimated the difficulty of the Howe Sound Crest Trail in British Columbia, planning a five-hour hike that actually took at least 12 hours and required rescue intervention.
- The trail involves climbing over 4,200 feet of rugged, mountainous terrain with loose rocks, making the estimated five-hour completion time "wildly optimistic," according to rescue teams.
- The group ran into trouble when an 18-year-old slipped and fell about 9 feet, injuring his tailbone and preventing further movement, prompting a 911 call for rescue.
- Rescue crews airlifted the injured hiker by helicopter after on-site medical assessment, while his two companions were also extricated from the trail.
- The hikers had relied on printed Google Maps directions, which included warnings and restrictions, but they still underestimated the hike's difficulty.
