04-07-2025
Yelling for help, then arrested: Helicopter crew rescues wanted man from B.C. wildfire
Composite image: Left, a helicopter buckets the Silver Creek wildfire near Hope, B.C., taken by Brittany Fandrich; Right, a mugshot of Cayden Blackwell distributed by Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers.
A 27-year-old man wanted on several outstanding warrants was rescued from a B.C. cliffside after pleading for help as firefighters battled a nearby wildfire in the eastern Fraser Valley.
Authorities confirmed RCMP on scene to support crews at the Silver Creek fire in Hope arrested Cayden Blackwell shortly after he was transported to safety via long-line helicopter rescue.
'During the course of this (wildfire) response, a man could be heard yelling for help in the same area,' wrote Staff Sgt. Mike Sargent in an email. 'Once the wildfire was controlled, Hope and Chilliwack Search and Rescue located a 27-year-old man stranded along one of the cliff faces.'
Court records show Blackwell was charged with driving while prohibited, dangerous operation of a conveyance, and possession of stolen property in February. In August of last year, he was charged with driving while prohibited, resisting arrest, and assaulting a peace officer with a weapon. He has not yet been tried on those charges.
In May of 2024, he pleaded guilty to driving without a licence.
The fire, near Serpent's Back Trail in Hope, is classified as being held at 0.6 hectares, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service.
