North Vancouver RCMP are trying to figure out what happened in the moments leading up to an apparent knife fight between campers on Mount Seymour early Thursday morning.
Members of North Shore Rescue rushed to the top of the mountain just after 5 a.m. when a distraught man called 911 and said he was injured.
Through a series of dropped calls, the injured man eventually said he’d sustained a knife wound and North Vancouver RCMP and the heavily armed Emergency Response Team had to first clear the area before the rescue could be carried out. Parks staff also closed off Mount Seymour Road and Mt. Seymour ski resort.
They found the wounded man at a campsite about one kilometre up the Dog Mountain trail and transported him to hospital, according to Cpl. Richard De Jong, North Vancouver RCMP spokesman.
While police were investigating, another 911 call came in from the mountain, around 8:30 a.m., this time from a second man in the same area, reporting he was also injured and in need of assistance.
The second call caught police off guard, De Jong said.
Despite being in the area for several hours, they found the second injured man nearby the campsite. The two had apparently been camping together.
“The injuries sustained to both males are consistent with knife wounds as a result of an altercation on the mountain,” De Jong said. “We don’t know who perpetrated it, who was the victim and who was the aggressor.”
The investigation was still in its early stages, De Jong added, and police had done very little questioning of the two men.
“Their injuries are such that medical treatment is a priority right now, but of course they will be spoken to,” he said. “We’re hoping they remain stable.”
RCMP investigate an apparent stabbing on Mount Seymour
De Jong could describe the suspects only as being in their 30s and from the Lower Mainland. He could not say whether either of them were known to police.
Police reopened the road to the top of Seymour after they were satisfied the public were not at risk.
“We’re not looking for any other individuals at this point. There is no concern for public safety,” De Jong said.
The area where the men were camping remained cordoned off and the snowshoe trail to Dog Mountain closed Thursday afternoon while police were on scene.
“At this point, the area has been sealed down. We’re looking for any evidence. The snow and the weather are making it very difficult,” De Jong said
Camping is not allowed in that area, though De Jong said it is not uncommon.
