Members of Central Cariboo Search and Rescue in Williams Lake were busy on and behind the scene in 2023.
Public Relations and SARS Member Deborah Bortolussi said over eight thousand hours were dedicated in total to both training and call outs.
“We did 193 Auto Extrications call outs in 2023. That included anything responding to motor vehicle incident, assisting Emergency Health Services as well as assisting the community in other ways. Like when power are down we get dispatched out to help protect the community and walk down the road during those moments. Our Land Search and Rescue Team responded to 29 tasks for missing persons, overdue people, injured individuals, as well as helping BC Emergency Health Services get people out of the back country, and Emergency Medical Lift assist as well.”
Bortolussi said some of those land tasks included a wild land rope rescue, using air resources like planes and helicopters, and searches on the river as well utilizing our jet boat.
Compared to 2022 the numbers are quite comparable.
In 2022 Borotlussi noted that Central Cariboo Search and Rescue responded to 226 Auto Extrication calls, which was a 25 percent increase from 2021, and responded to 21 Land Search and Rescue calls.
“When not responding to call outs,” Bortolussi said, “we learned new skills and practiced some old ones on the best techniques of patient extrication. We did took various rope rescue courses where one of our members certified as a Wild Land Rope Rescue team leader. We also did hover exit training with helicopters and our Auto Extrication Team also took a roper rescue course. Members took some Swift Water courses as well as Swift Water Rescue practices utilizing our jet boat.”
Bortolussi said the team did incredible training in 2023 and have lots planned for this year too.
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