A memorial to volunteer search and rescue personnel who died on duty, including two women from the Sunshine Coast, was unveiled March 2 on the grounds of the Legislature in Victoria.
“The people of British Columbia owe a great deal to the search and rescue teams of this province. These selfless men and women risk their lives, in often treacherous conditions, to help reunite our friends and our loved ones,” said Naomi Yamamoto, B.C.’s minister for emergency preparedness.
“They are a beacon of hope in situations that may otherwise seem hopeless.”
The black granite monument bears the names of 17 people, including Angie Nemeth and Beatrice Sorensen.
The women were volunteer crew members with Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCM-SAR) Station 12 in Halfmoon Bay. They died June 3, 2012, when the RCM-SAR vessel Lewis-McPhee capsized in the Skookumchuck Rapids during a training exercise.
Several family members were on hand for the unveiling of the memorial, which was a joint project of the BC Search and Rescue Association, RCM-SAR, and PEP Air.
