A young Norwegian is recovering from three days wet, cold and lost in rugged alpine terrain in the western province of British Columbia.
Twenty-one-year-old Julie Abrahamsen was snowboarding at the Blackcomb ski resort by herself on Wednesday when she followed other people out of bounds. She lost sight of them and tried unsuccessfully to make her way back.
The temperature was a relatively warm 3 C, but there was heavy rain and at one point she crossed a creek with water rising almost up to her neck. One rescuer said it was remarkable she survived.
Abrahamsen was only reported missing on Friday and a helicopter was sent up the following day when weather cleared. The crew saw her tracks in rugged terrain about five kilometres from the ski area at an altitude of 1,600 meters.
When found, Abrahamsen was dehydrated and cold and was brought to hospital, but was said to be in surprisingly good condition. She later posted her thanks on Facebook as well as a message asking for anyone to tell her if they see her snowboard.
Signs are posted at Blackcomb and other ski resorts clearly warning people to not go beyond trail boundaries, but people often do so regardless.
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