Friends have identified the man who died after a fall on Brunswick Mountain Saturday as Yan Cen, a visitor from China.
The Pacific Northwest Outdoor Association, an outdoors group serving the Chinese community, launched a GoFundMe Tuesday to help Cen’s family cover the financial burden they now face.
“We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of our dear friend Yan Cen. He lost his life while bravely helping another friend during an outdoor activity, embodying the true spirit of mutual support that defines our outdoor community,” a post from the association states.
“At this moment, his family is overwhelmed with grief from losing their loved one, while also facing enormous financial burdens including high hospital bills, handling of remains, and the cost of repatriating his ashes overseas. For an ordinary family, these expenses are extremely difficult to bear.”
Also known as "Rock" to friends, the association described Cen as “a person of immense kindness and passion, always eager to help others.”
Since the fundraiser’s launch, it has already raised tens of thousands of dollars.
On Saturday afternoon, Lions Bay Search and Rescue received a call about two injured hikers near the summit of Mount Brunswick. As a group of 14 hikers were descending down the mountain, one woman slipped and fell 20 metres down steep terrain before she was stopped by a tree.
Cen tried to climb down to help her, but lost his footing and slid over 100 metres, landing in a snow moat above a waterfall.
Lions Bay SAR called North Shore Rescue to help hoist the two injured hikers out. At the time, Cen was in critical condition and the woman was stable.
The BC Coroners Service confirmed Cen died on March 22, a day after the hiking trip.
“It’s a tragic outcome,” said Maria Masiar, search manager for Lions Bay SAR. “The whole team was rooting for him and hoping that he was going to pull through. It always breaks our hearts when we have a negative outcome in the end.”
Masiar said Monday there are tricky conditions up in the upper alpine and that spring is a dangerous time in the mountains.
“Often, people get excited about the nice weather, the longer daylight, the warm conditions in the city and they don’t realize that it’s still full winter conditions up higher in the alpine,” she said. “This time of the year, we see what we call these ‘slip and slide’ incidents very frequently.”
She said it’s vital to bring the right equipment when out hiking like mountaineering crampons and an ice axe, especially during the spring with changing weather conditions.
Those interested in donating to the Cen family can visit www.gofundme.com/f/us3s2p-in-memory-of-rock-support-his-family-after-tragedy.
