Stranded hikers were rescued from a cliff edge after apparently following a trail on Google Maps that didn't actually exist

• A mountain rescue crew based in Vancouver, Canada, saved three hikers from the same area.
• North Shore Rescue said it seems the hikers were following a nonexistent trail on Google Maps.

On several occasions hikers in Canada had to be rescued after getting stranded on a cliff edge in a steep, dangerous area — and rescuers say they seemed to be following a non-existent trail that was listed on Google Maps.

North Shore Rescue, or NSR, a volunteer mountain search and rescue team based in Vancouver, Canada, said Saturday they rescued a hiker who was stuck on Mount Froome, located north of the city in the Kennedy Falls area.

NSR responded to the scene with a helicopter and rope team, which was able to lower down to the approximate area of the stranded hiker. The rescuers were able to find to the hiker, put him in a harness, and bring him down to an area where they could all be pulled out by the helicopter.

"To be clear, the area in question has no trails and is very steep with many cliff bands throughout. In the preceding weeks, NSR has actually placed signage in the area warning of this," NSR said in a Facebook post. "The area is clearly dangerous, as it was the sight of a previous fatality."

NSR said it was the third rescue it had completed in the area, including one in September. In that case, the hiker had called 911 to report he was stuck on Mount Fromme and that "he was hanging on and wasn't sure how long he could hold on," NSR said.

NSR said in the post about the latest rescue that it is "simply not appropriate to navigate in the wilderness using 'urban street map' programs like Google Maps." They said hikers using their phones should instead consider apps that are specifically designed for the outdoors, like CalTopo or Gaia, and to download the wilderness map for the area before setting out.

They also said to carry a charged external battery, as navigation apps can drain phone power.

"We always recommend the good old fashioned paper map and compass," NSR said.

It's unclear why the non-existent tail was showing up on Google Maps. NSR said Saturday they had previously contacted Google to have the trail removed but had not gotten a response.

On Monday, the group said their request had been processed and that the non existent trail had been removed.

In a statement provided to Insider, a Google spokesperson confirmed that the trail had been removed, adding: "We use a variety of sources to update Google Maps, including third party information, imagery and feedback from our community."