Sunday, Feb. 23, was another busy day for Vernon Search and Rescue (VSAR), and it came with a lesson about being prepared for wintry conditions when venturing out into the backcountry.
At first light, a VSAR team was heading out to provide mutual aid to Shuswap Search and Rescue to save two sledders stuck in the mountains east of Sicamous near Blue Lake during the previous day. Due to a potential avalanche threat, ground teams decided it would be safer to access the area in daylight hours by helicopter, when the sledders could be picked up by air.
Upon reaching the sledders in the morning, the crew safely winched them aboard the helicopter and transported them to safety. Both of the sledders were cold and hungry, but uninjured.
On Sunday evening, VSAR was again tasked with rescuing two stranded individuals, this time in the Becker Lake area east of Vernon. The two had slid off the road in deep snow and were able to free themselves. Fortunately, they were able to activate an SOS through their iPhone. VSAR responded with teams on sleds and side-by-sides that are designed for such conditions and were able to locate the pair relatively quickly.
VSAR noted that these individuals were not dressed properly for the conditions, did not carry any safety gear and were "woefully unprepared" for an overnight stay. Teams were able to guide them slowly back down the mountain, where they were able to speak with RCMP and some "anxious parents," VSAR said Monday. The volunteer search and rescue teams were able to make it back to their own homes by midnight.
"Vernon Search and Rescue thanks all of those involved in helping these rescues provide successful results. This includes the local RCMP personnel involved, the patient family members, and Air Rescue One Heli Winch Society (AROHWS) for providing the flight crew, winch, and rescue helicopter," VSAR said.
VSAR noted several key takeaways for the public in these back-to-back rescues.
One is that search and rescue services throughout Canada are free, and it's always better to ask for help right away once there is a valid emergency situation than to wait.
Both events were successfully handled safely with all subjects returning home uninjured. However, VSAR noted the two situations saw "radically different" levels of preparation by those being rescued, with "one group fully prepared, the other not at all."
鈥�'You can鈥檛 count on good luck, but good luck counts' is a saying that thankfully helped the second group of subjects survive their ordeal. Their forced stay overnight in the winter conditions may have resulted in a drastically different outcome," VSAR said.
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