With one month left in 2024, Quesnel Search & Rescue has already been busier than all of last year.
Search Manager Bob Holowenko has a look back.
“The numbers that I shared are just up until the beginning of December, so we have already seen within the 2024 year a 66 percent increase in the number of calls versus the previous year. This year we’ve had a bit of an increase in our swift water rescue activity and then our medical evacuation type activity, whereas the number of lost person searches that we’ve been called out for has remained relatively steady.”
There have been 25 call outs through the first 11 months of this year, compared to 21 all of last year.
Holowenko says there have been a number of highlights, including being involved in the largest successful search in Northern British Columbia history.
“7 members from Quesnel Search and Rescue went and attended the search south of Burns Lake for a 6-year old autistic girl who was missing for a total of four nights. Quesnel Search & Rescue was one of the first teams to respond. We played a tole in leading teams as well as in a command position assisting with incident command operations.”
The girl was found safe.
Holowenko says thee were other wins as well.
“We had involvement in many more mutual aid tasks which mean we’re assisting our neighbouring teams be it Prince George, Williams Lake or farther. This year has also been big on training. The members of Quesnel Search & Rescue have attended over 200 training sessions this year which puts them up over 12-hundred volunteer hours.”
Holowenko says most off that was for new certification, or getting re-certified in various things that have an expiry date.
He says they have 30 active members and can always use more help.
:”We are always looking for more interested available people that come and help out in any possible way. You don’t necessarily have to be the type A personality that jogs up hills for fun, we need every type of person.”
Holowenko says an application form can be found on our website at quesnelsar.ca.
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