With a helping hand from a vacationing Penticton member, Juan de Fuca Search and Rescue hand-hauled a hiker off Botanical Beach Sunday afternoon.
The local SAR team was called out July 27 to help someone with a lower body injury on the beach near Port Renfrew. The team provided first aid and carried the subject by stretcher to a waiting ambulance.
鈥淲e鈥檇 like to extend our sincere thanks to Sterling from Penticton Search and Rescue, who happened to be at Botanical Beach and generously offered her assistance during the call,鈥� the local team said on social media.
鈥淭his incident is a great example of how search and rescue teams from across British Columbia are trained to seamlessly integrate and support one another, no matter where the call happens.鈥�
The number one reason for search and rescue in B.C. is injury, particularly to the lower body, caused by slips, trips, and falls. It鈥檚 a reminder that even common activities on familiar terrain can quickly turn serious without proper preparation.
The BC Search and Rescue Association 鈥� which represents the 3,200 volunteers who make up 78 teams across the province and respond to about 1,960 incidents each year 鈥� promotes safety with its checklists, trip planning app and safety webinars at .
Among the top tips? Always take along the 10 essentials: flashlight, fire-making kit, signalling device such as a whistle, extra food and water, extra clothing, navigation aids, first aid kit, emergency shelter, tools such as a pocket knife and sun protection.
