Recent training in rope rescue paid off for the Roberts Creek Volunteer Fire Department last month.
The fire department was called out on the evening of June 19 after a woman fell down a steep bank along Roberts Creek.
Fortunately the 56-year-old woman was with friends who were able to go for help.
A team of firefighters was able to get into the ravine and, using a basket stretcher, bring the woman up to a nearby home where paramedics were waiting.
The call came in at 6 p.m. and the woman was on her way to Sechelt Hospital just two hours later. She suffered a broken wrist and a broken ankle.
According to the Sunshine Coast Regional District, “low to steep angle” rope rescue is part of the training Roberts Creek firefighters take through the Justice Institute of BC. The most recent sessions were in April.
Creek banks can be unstable, especially after prolonged wet or dry spells.
In the June 19 incident, the injured hiker was with a group. Sunshine Coast Search and Rescue recommends anyone heading out for a hike leave information about where they’re going with someone who can summon help if they don’t return on schedule and that people carry the so-called “10 essentials” when out in the woods. See www.adventuresmart.ca/land/survive-essentials.htm
