Police call off search for three missing climbers near Squamish, BC

Police in Squamish, British Columbia, said search and rescue teams had temporarily suspended efforts to locate three climbers who had been missing for nearly a week.

The RCMP said the pause was due to “significant challenges” caused by unstable conditions on Mount Garibaldi, where the trio were last seen on May 31.

In a statement, the climbers’ families asked for privacy “during this difficult time.”

The Mounties expect the search to resume after analyzing video footage captured by drones over the past two days.

The exact timing will depend on weather conditions and a reassessment of the risks in the area, which rescuers describe as remote and due to its “complex terrain,” the statement said.

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An earlier social media post from Squamish Search and Rescue said Thursday’s operations involved helicopters, drones, dogs and ground crews.

The previous day, three helicopters had also been deployed, one of them equipped with a rescue signal detector. However, the operation was hampered by low-hanging clouds.

The climbers were reported missing from Atwell Peak, part of Mount Garibaldi, a popular backcountry area about 70 kilometers north of Vancouver.

Local search and rescue teams have released photos showing aerial views of a steep mountainside with bare rock protruding from the snow cover.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2024.