A 16-year-old hiker was rescued from a dangerous cliff in British Columbia, Canada, after using an AI assistant to help plan his route. The teenager became stranded while hiking Crown Mountain and was later rescued by North Shore Rescue, reported People.
North Shore Rescue received a call on Saturday, October 3, about a hiker stuck on a cliff at Crown Mountain. The New York Times identified the hiker as Bryce Vincent Gowryluk.
According to North Shore Rescue, the teenager had moved far away from the Crown hiking route and became stranded on a climbing route called the “Widowmaker”, near the base of its final headwall.
Paul Markey, search manager for North Shore Rescue, said the teenager started his day at Grouse Mountain. His plan was to hike up Crown Mountain, a difficult hike that usually takes about seven to eight hours.
According to Markey, Bryce used Claude AI to plan the trip. The AI assistant directed him onto a particularly challenging route, which eventually left him stranded.
Bryce told The New York Times that he did not blame the AI for the incident. He said he had also used Google Maps and other tools. He accepted that accidentally entering the Widowmaker Arete area was his mistake.
Bryce continued walking because he believed he was in a completely different area. When the route became too difficult, he found himself trapped on a ledge on an almost vertical cliff.
Markey told CTV News that falling from the place where Bryce was stuck could have caused serious injury or even death.
Bryce was able to call the police, who then contacted North Shore Rescue. During the incident, he also called his mother, Joelle.
Joelle said Bryce had good intentions when he started the trip, but no parent wants to get a call that their son needs a helicopter rescue.
A helicopter reached Bryce, but it couldn’t land directly at his location. Rescue workers therefore landed above him and used ropes to reach him.
A rescue worker then created additional safety protection and moved Bryce to a suitable place for extraction. About three hours after the rescue call was received, Bryce was lifted into the rescue helicopter. He was taken to a rescue base near Cleveland Dam.
Markey said the teenager was very scared and had feared for his life. Markey advised hikers not to depend on AI when planning hiking routes.
