Late Wednesday afternoon, the Central Cariboo Search and Rescue received a call for help from a stranded hang glider.
The CCSAR Land SAR team was called to help the stranded person, who was hang gliding in a pair in the Soda Creek area when an unexpected just of wind blew them into a tree. Their wingtip became entangled 25 metres off the ground, but they were able to call for help.
Debra Bortolussi, a public relations coordinator and a member of the Central Cariboo Search and Rescue, said they then met up with RCMP and the other hang glider. They lead then to the area where they thought the stranded person was.
“Once they assessed the situation, they called an arborist to come to assist them,” she said. “The arborist was then able to climb the adjacent tree for the person who was stuck and helped set up the rope system. Once that rope system was all set up, the Central Cariboo Search and Rescue team members were then able to lower the person to the ground.”
The hang glider suffered no injuries.
Bortolussi added that when planning a trip, there are many tools people so they can increase the chances that they don’t have to contact search and rescue.
“BC Adventure Smart is a great tool. It’s totally free, and it has all kinds of options for making trip plans to let you know what essentials you should be taking and to give you avenues so you can train properly,” she said, “Doing things in your safe group of people, keeping COVID-19 in mind, and always making sure that you trip plan, take the essentials, and train.’
She added that you should always have a way to call for help, just in case.