A father and son who strayed off a marked trail on Vancouver's Grouse Mountain were safely rescued.
The two got stuck Saturday in a gully where the avalanche risk was high, making things dangerous for their rescuers too.
"They caused a little bit of anxiety for the search management team tonight," Tim Jones, search manager of North Shore Search and Rescue, told reporters.
"We had to make a decision to put our field members into a very hazardous situation and we weren't happy about it."
The rescue effort took several hours, ending about 9 p.m. local time.
Rescues had to get the two up a vertical slope, which collapsed behind them.
The two snowboarders were cold and tired, but unharmed.
"We're very thankful to the North Shore Rescue and the RCMP for saving us," the teen told reporters. "It was amazing. They did a great job -- and we won't do it again. We're very sorry."
Warnings were issued on Friday about the avalanche risks in the North Shore Mountains. Heavy snow and changing weather had affected snowpack stability.
