Hiker airlifted from Sugarloaf Mountain after 50-foot fall

A 59-year-old hiker was airlifted to a hospital in Victoria after falling approximately 15 metres (50 feet) down a cliff on Sugarloaf Mountain in Metchosin.

The rescue operation involved the Metchosin Fire Department, Metchosin Search and Rescue, and the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron. Firefighters and rescue personnel hiked to the location to treat the patient and prepare them for extraction. The patient was then airlifted using a long-line rescue technique via a CH-149 Cormorant helicopter.

Crews remained on the scene for approximately nine hours. While the hiker sustained multiple injuries, they were reported to be in stable condition. The Metchosin Fire Department credited bystanders for helping to locate the hiker and staying by their side until professional rescuers arrived.