Climber rescued after wasp stings in British Columbia backcountry

A 33-year-old experienced climber required a helicopter extraction after being stung by wasps while descending Redoubt Wall, located north of Vancouver, British Columbia. While initial 911 reports suggested the woman had been stung more than 100 times, search-and-rescue officials later clarified that she likely sustained between 12 and 20 stings.

Despite the lower number of stings, the climber suffered a full systemic allergic reaction, including hives, dizziness, difficulty breathing, and low blood pressure. Lions Bay Search and Rescue deployed a ground team with emergency medical supplies, including epinephrine, before North Shore Rescue performed an airlift through heavy tree canopy to transfer her to emergency medical services.

Lions Bay Search and Rescue noted that wasps have been unusually aggressive this year. They attributed the increased activity to a mild winter and an early warm spring, which allowed more queen yellowjackets to survive and establish larger, more defensive colonies. Rescuers warned that wasp encounters in the Sea to Sky region can quickly escalate into serious backcountry medical emergencies.