The search for two missing snowshoers on Cypress Mountain remains on hold until a break in the weather or reduced avalanche risk will allow North Shore Rescue teams to resume their search.

43-year-old Roy Lee and 64-year-old Chun Lam are thought to have set off on Christmas Day to explore the backcountry around the resort. About 20 volunteers have reportedly been assisting in search efforts since Sunday, when the pair’s car was discovered buried in snow at a parking lot on the mountain.

The search was suspended yesterday due to heavy snowfall that poses a moderate to considerable avalanche risk in the area, according to Avalanche Canada reports. Still more snow is forecast at the higher elevations of B.C.’s south coast for Thursday and Friday.

North Shore Rescue Team Leader Mike Danks felt yesterday was a significant day for the two. The pair are described as “experienced”, but unlikely to be equipped for surviving in freezing temperatures overnight.

Search manager Jeff Yarnold said that the pause in the search doesn’t mean that the volunteers have switched from rescue to recovery, and that they are hopeful that the pair are surviving on the mountain.

Reports suggest that rescue crews may have made contact with Lee and Lam early on in the search, but Yarnold pointed out that the weather hampered the team’s ability to effectively cover the necessary ground.

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