A homeless man is in hospital recovering from serious burns after his clothes caught fire when he was near a cooking stove on the weekend.
At just after noon on Sunday, fire crews were called to what was thought to be a water rescue, at an isolated area near 53 Avenue and 182 Street, in Cloverdale.
At the same time, Surrey RCMP received a call at about 12:30 p.m. from a woman who heard cries in a bushy area, near that location.
RCMP found the injured man, who had suffered extensive burns, in his isolated camp located on an island in a pond.
Assistant Chief Brian Woznikoski told The Leader Monday it's believed the man's clothing caught fire while he was cooking.
"He had second-degree burns to his face, chest and arm," Woznikoski said. "It sounds like he was cooking."
Firefighters used a ladder and basket stretcher to retrieve him and transfer him to BC Ambulance Service for transport to hospital.