Courtenay hiker found alive on a cliff face, three days after he split from his partner

A 25-year-old hiker from Courtenay who had been missing in Strathcona Park since Monday was found alive Thursday morning, spotted on a cliffside by police in an RCMP helicopter.

Keshav Jindal became separated from his hiking partner during a day trip near Paradise Meadows and Mount Albert Edward. The two had planned to summit the mountain together, but Jindal decided to stay behind and wait. When his partner came back down, he was gone. Search manager Paul Berry said Jindal had hiked only a handful of times and wasn't familiar with alpine terrain.

Crews hoisted him from the cliff to a waiting helicopter around 11:30 a.m., a rescue Berry called "very technical" given the terrain. Seven search and rescue teams from Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland took part, along with two helicopters and a canine unit. Infrared cameras and a device that detects cellphone signals were used, but no signals came through.

Closer to home, West Shore RCMP is still looking for 28-year-old Tyler Tenhunen, last seen Aug. 4 on Hockley Avenue in Langford. Police say it is out of character for him to be out of contact this long, and anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.