As we head into Summer, members of Central Cariboo Search and Rescue have already had a busy year.
Public Relations and SARS Member, Deborah Bortolussi said so far they have responded to 66 auto extrications and 6 land Search and Rescue tasks.
“Compared to last year at this time, those call outs are on par. Spring into Summer is when we see our call out numbers increase and again when the Winter season starts.”
Right now as the weather warms up and school isn’t that far away from ending for Summer vacation, Bortolussi said more and more people will be heading out to the backcountry.
“That means more people will be quadding and dirt biking and sometimes that does come with a risk. That’s why we always stress BC Adventure Smart’s 3 T’s: Trip Plan, Train, and take the essentials. It’s important to let someone know where you’ll be going, what you’ll be doing, and when to expect you back.”
Bortolussi noted that if someone misses the time they said they would be returning or checking in, don’t wait to call and report it.
“There is a misconception that you need to wait but you do not. Please call right away because the sooner we can be activated and out there helping to find the person or persons, especially if there are injuries involved, the better chances of a positive outcome there will be.”
When it comes to darkness and terrain, Borotlussi said we have to think about the safety of our member as well, it gets complicated on how we’re going to be able to find people.
“For example, if you’ve ever lost your keys in the forest or a parking lot and its getting dark and you’re trying to find them, it’s kind of how we feel when we are trying to find people in the middle of the night .”
Bortolussi also wanted to remind the public that as the daylight hours get longer there will be more traffic on our roads and highways and that driving exhausted or impaired is never acceptable.
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