A French hiker, who survived a 45-metre fall down a B.C. North Shore mountain earlier this week, was reunited with his rescuers on Friday.
It was an emotional moment for Frederic Perrier, who suffered cuts and bruises as well as a badly damaged ankle in the fall, but is expected to recover.
He fell so far that his climbing partner Vincent Tassion couldn't see him. But Perrier credits his survival to a slice of good luck and the fact that he was able to fall on his ruck sack.
Recalling the moments after the dramatic fall, Perrier said he could feel his legs and arms and had no head injuries. But, he was stuck where he had landed on the side of the mountain.
"I saw my ankle completely destroyed, and thought, yes, I have a problem now,'' he said.
Members of a North Shore Search and Rescue team were able to reach Perrier about an hour and a half later.
He was flown out on a long line rescue to Vancouver General Hospital.
On Friday, for the first time since the accident, he met his rescuers face to face since the accident.
Doug Brown of North Shore Search and Rescue told the injured climber that he is lucky to be alive.
"You are a pretty lucky guy and yes thank somebody for giving you the right pinball path down that rocky cliff,'' Brown said.
For his part, Perrier says he knows that luck was on his side.
"I was so happy to see you when you arrived, thank you very much,'' he said.
Doctors were able to perform surgery on Perrier's ankle, and put the bone back inside. But it was without blood flow for quite awhile.
Tassion is just happy his life long friend is o.k.
"I don't really want to live this again,'' he said.
The two grew up in the French Alps. Their trip to B.C. and the Rockies was six months in the making.
The trip is postponed for now. But Perrier says that if he is well enough to go, he will drive to the mountains before heading back to France.
With a report by CTV British Columbia's Leah Hendry
