An injured hiker was brought to safety in a rescue operation that saw a Langford volunteer firefighter hurt when his all-terrain vehicle went down a hill backward.
The situation unfolded Monday afternoon after a woman, part of a group of five hikers ranging in age from 60 to 80, injured her ankle in the Mount Wells area off Humpback Road.
Two people stayed with the injured woman. Two others planned to hike out and call for help, but they became separated from each other.
One person made it out and was able to alert authorities by about 3 p.m., while the other was found later with assistance from a police dog.
The Langford Fire Department, Metchosin Search and Rescue and West Shore RCMP responded.
The injured hiker and her two companions were located by rescuers about 6 p.m., said West Shore RCMP Acting Sgt. Kathy Rochlitz.
“But due to the nature of the injury and the terrain where they were located, they were not brought out until later in the evening, at approximately 9 p.m.,” she said, adding that the hikers and rescuers were separated by a ravine.
Langford Fire Chief Bob Beckett said the firefighter hurt while driving the ATV was on “very, very steep and difficult terrain” when it went backward.
“He probably rolled the thing and rode with it for about 70 feet and was pretty shaken up.”
The firefighter was assessed at hospital and released Monday night. He has soft-tissue injuries to his back and a leg, Beckett said.
The hikers were very experienced, he said.
“Unfortunately, that area has just a ton of trails, and it’s not like it’s in a regional or provincial park where everything is well-marked,” he said. “We’re glad that everybody got out safe and sound.”
