Sunshine Coast Search and Rescue volunteers are busier than ever following a month of high call volumes for the area.
During the B.C. Day long weekend, the group attended one call per day for three consecutive days.
All of the responses were successful, search manager Alec Tebbutt told Coast Reporter on Aug. 5.
“Everyone is fine. There were some broken limbs and people had to stay in the hospital for a while, but everything has turned out well for all of the people that we’ve had over the last month,” which Tebbutt said has been rewarding for the volunteers.
Saturday, July 31
A Streamkeeper in Chaster Creek fell and broke her arm. When the fire department and ambulance arrived on scene, they called SAR to assist with a rope system to get the volunteer out of the area. Tebbutt said the firefighters built a good trail for the 19 SAR members to use the rope system.
Sunday, Aug. 1
SAR was called when a dog walker in Selma Park went missing. Another dog walker found the missing walker, The walker was found in good condition.
Monday, Aug. 2
An injured hiker on Gambier Island required the help of search and rescue on B.C. Day. Since the call came in later in the day, Sunshine Coast SAR wouldn’t have arrived until after dark, and it would have been “completely impractical” to respond, Tebbutt said. It would take the local unit an hour to reach the island with the help of marine SAR and then three hours to hike to where the subject was located, so Sunshine Coast SAR helped with logistics and called North Shore SAR to assist.
North Shore SAR used a helicopter longline to lift the hiker out and fly her to Sechelt Hospital, where Sunshine Coast SAR received her. While the injury wasn’t too serious, Tebbutt said, the hiker seemed to be severely dehydrated and possibly had heat exhaustion.
Wednesday, Aug. 4
A mountain biker on B&K fell while riding a log and was knocked unconscious. She regained consciousness and, with assistance from SAR, was able to walk out slowly to an ambulance.
Lost hiker
Earlier in the month, on July 17, the SAR team had a nearly seven-hour-long response to assist a lost hiker in the Mount Elphinstone area. The hiker had left for Langdale Falls in the morning, but didn’t know the way and got turned around. Other hikers came across her, and called SAR around 5:45 p.m.
“This is the kind of thing that can happen to people,” Tebbutt said. The hiker had no food or water, and was not in good condition by the time she was found. The volunteers used a stretcher to bring her out of the trail system.
Tebbutt said people going out for even a short walk should be prepared with food, water, a method of communication, and should tell someone else where they plan to go and how long it will take. He recommends adventuresmart.ca for tips.
He also wants to remind the public that if they see a SAR vehicle on a logging road, to pull over and make room. They’re not equipped with lights and sirens like ambulances, but are likely to be travelling in a convoy – if you see one, expect others to follow.
High volume
From the beginning of July to Aug. 4, the SAR team was called out 11 times. The normal annual call volume for Sunshine Coast SAR used to be in the mid-20s, Tebbutt said, but increased last year.
“That’s a significant kind of thing for us to have that many calls,” Tebbutt said. “We’re in the vicinity of double or even more of our normal call volume for the year.”
As for why Sunshine Coast SAR is seeing an increase, Tebbutt said there’s a variety of factors, including more mountain bikers on the trails.
Sunshine Coast SAR also assists other SAR teams, going to Squamish, the North Shore and Powell River, on calls that need more members or for larger searches.
“For our team, they’re happy to do it. That’s what we’re here for,” Tebbutt said. “We don’t want to stop anybody from calling.”
