VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA–(Marketwired – May 19, 2015)

When Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue volunteers practice their search and rescue skills on Howe Sound they will face some highly realistic first aid scenarios – made even more realistic with the help of Colbi Smith and her team of special effects makeup artists. Cuts, bruises, burns, lost limbs – you name it and Colbi can create it with her collection of liquid latex, gelatin, dyes, and “non-staining powdered blood”.

“We want to pump up the pressure and give the first aid responders a realistic – and kind of scary experience,” said Colbi, who has trained as a make-up artist and has worked on several films. “I really enjoy doing special effects because I can get creative. And a little bit crazy!”

Colbi and her team will provide makeup for 14 “victims” several times a day during the two-day search and rescue exercise (SAREX) which will bring together more than 150 crew members from 20 RCM-SAR stations on the South Coast. The annual event is an opportunity for crews to practice their seamanship, navigation, rescue and first aid skills, and work with their colleagues from around the region.

“The special effects makeup gets our crews used to the sight of blood and helps them focus on making the right decisions during a call,” said Cheryl Caldwell, RCM-SAR’s Director of Training and Operations.

So how do you create such realism? In addition to special theatrical makeup, Colbi uses a range of household items like red food dye and chocolate sauce (for injuries near the mouth), paper towels (for burns) and corn syrup (don’t ask). Colbi notes that the products are safe and environmentally friendly.

Like all the other participants in this SAREX, Colbi and her team are volunteering their time for a good cause.

“The three of us trained together and we all enjoy working with first responders on these kinds of exercises because we know it helps crews cope with real-life situations,” said Colbi. “I’m pretty proud of the effects I can create. After all, I used to work in my family’s butcher shop.”

About the SAREX: Mariners may notice more than a dozen RCM-SAR rescue vessels conducting exercises in Howe Sound between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, May 23-24. The exercise will be based out of Camp Elphinstone near Gibsons. A vessel is available for media.

To view the media release please click here.

White collar worker finds satisfaction, and work, in construction

SOOKE – Having bounced around white collar jobs for a decade, David Steeves was done with office work.

After suffering another layoff last year, he went to his local WorkBC Employment Services Centre and found his fit on a government-funded training project to build a training centre for the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCM-SAR) for eight months.

On the RCM-SAR project, David, 31, got the experience he needed to get a good job in the trades. He helped clear the ground, build the foundation, frame the building and tried his hand at plumbing as well.

“Before I started, I thought carpentry was just working with wood. But on this project, you work with wood, you work with metal, you work with a bit of everything,” David says.

The contractor, Jason McFadden of McFadden Contracting, was so impressed with David’s work that he hired him as a full-time apprentice carpenter, thanks, in part, to a provincial wage subsidy offered through WorkBC. The wage subsidy gives his employer an added incentive to offer the young man full-time work and helps pay part of David’s salary.

“It has been a real pleasure to work with David, and we are delighted he is pursuing a career in carpentry,” Jason McFadden says. “From the start he took a keen interest in learning carpentry techniques. He has picked up new skills very quickly and he has become a valued member of our construction team, so much so that we have hired him as a carpenter apprentice.”

Through the training project, David also took workshops on interviewing, resume building and pointers on how to look for work.

“I wanted to make sure I was never unemployed again,” David says, confident that those days are now over. “I had been working two years here, two years there but I was always the last guy in and the first one to get laid off.”

“I think the Job Creation Partnerships are a great idea.”

So does Jim Lee, president of Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue: “This program has helped us accelerate our building project so that we can improve our training for British Columbia’s marine rescue volunteers even sooner than we’d planned. We are really impressed with the work that the participants have done, and are proud to have provided an opportunity for them to gain work experience and gain new skills.”

Before he got into carpentry through WorkBC, David had decided that office administrative work wasn’t for him and he was looking to pursue the trades when his WorkBC case worker mentioned the Job Creation Partnership at RCM-SAR. The training facility is scheduled to open in the fall.

David’s so keen on the project and the rescue training centre, he’s also joined RCM-SAR as a volunteer crew member.

Learn More:

For a photo of David hard at work: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bcgovphotos/18104670806

For more information on Community and Employer Partnerships: www.workbc.ca/CEP

To find a local WorkBC Employment Services Centre: www.workbccentres.ca

To learn more about the Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation: www.gov.bc.ca/sdsi

For more information on Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue: rcmsar.com

RCM-SAR 37 Sooke was tasked to locate a vessel broken down. As we were underway we received a call from Coast Guard that they now believe the vessel was against the rocks near Secretary Island, two people on board but had lost contact with them.

5 RCM-SAR volunteers headed out into the Juan de Fuca Strait and quickly located a vessel hard against the rocks in a very tough location, high rock walls on either side and thick brush on hills to the back.

We carefully nosed our vessel up to the rocks where two crew members got out and walked towards the vessel. They located a gentleman laying down on the rocks, unable to move in the position he was in. A quick assessment we determined he wasn’t injured, but would need assistance to get out of there.

We also determined that there was another person on-board who apparently left about 45 minutes earlier to get help. The walk out was very difficult and very rocky. We were immediately concerned for his well being. Scouting around the shoreline we located him about 600ft sitting on some rocks in a much easier location to get out safely extracted him.

We advised Coast Guard that we would need assistance with the first gentleman as it would take much more man-power than we had given the rocky and difficult terrain to the water.

East Sooke Volunteer FD and Sooke RCMP were dispatched. 6-8 of their members plus our crew placed the person on the spine board so we could carry him out and carefully moved him to our vessel as we were station keeping with the bow on the rocks.

We successfully took all people off the shore, dropped the RCMP and FD at an easier exit point and brought the two back to our home base where EHS was waiting to make sure everyone was ok.

Huge thank you to all our RCM-SAR volunteers who did a wonderful job, the volunteers of East Sooke FD and Sooke RCMP for assisting us and BC Ambulance in Sooke.

This was a wonderful example of interagencies working together to get the job done.

Our jet boat easily allowed us to get close to shore and maintain our distance to get both people off. An excellent platform for these types of extractions.

https://www.facebook.com/RCMSAR37/videos/vb.208259892526791/996542423698530/?type=2&theater

Our RCM-SAR Kitimat Station were tasked out a couple of nights ago to assist a vessel approximately 18nm from their home base. At 8pm during a weekday most people are starting to settle down, kids are tucked in and parents are reflecting on a busy day of work. But for our volunteer crew members in Kitimat, the pager rang out. 4 crew members headed out that night, assisting a vessel with 2 people on-board and towed her back to safety. All of this took over 7 hours. Arriving back at home base just after 4am.

Most of our volunteer crew members have full time jobs and a family to content with. But when the pagers scream out, they put everything aside risking the elements to assist those in need. It takes great training and time to ensure our crews are safe.

Please help keep our dedicated rescue volunteers safe.  Please donate now on Canada Helps to keep us trained, equipped and ready to go.

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/royal-canadian-marine-search-and-rescue/

On November 15 nine members of a dive club were plunged into frigid water near Victoria when their boat overturned in high wind and waves. They managed to retrieve a small portable marine radio and call mayday. Crews from RCM-SAR stations in Sooke and Victoria responded within minutes. Battling tough sea conditions, they pulled the casualties from the overturned dive boat, provided blankets and first aid, and transferred them to ambulances ashore. All nine divers survived.

This mission is another example of the importance of RCM-SAR’s top-notch training and equipment, made possible by generous donations. To support us, please click on the “Donate” link on this web site.

RCM-SAR Kitkatla and RCM-SAR Prince Rupert joined the search for two men missing aboard a 14 foot boat south of Prince Rupert. The men were reported missing on Monday, December 7. On Tuesday, one of the missing men was located safe. The search for the second man has been turned over to RCMP as a missing person case. The search involved vessels from RCM-SAR, the Canadian Coast Guard, and private operators, and a range of police and military aircraft.

NEWS RELEASE

VICTORIA, B.C. – A leader in emergency management and disaster response has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer for Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue.

Pat Quealey joins Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue from his role as Assistant Deputy Minister for Emergency Management BC (EMBC) where he was responsible for the leadership of the Province’s agency for planning, preparedness and response to emergencies and disasters. Critical to this role was fostering unity of effort across many organizations charged with ensuring public safety. In this senior role he also oversaw improving support for the province’s public safety lifeline volunteers including ground search and rescue organizations.

Prior to his position with provincial government, Mr. Quealey completed a 25-year career with the Canadian Armed Forces. His overseas deployments included peace-keeping operations in Bosnia and co-ordinating multi-national security and combat operations in Afghanistan. In Canada, among other responsibilities, he planned and led the coordination of the military’s support to security and disaster response operations in British Columbia and Alberta. This included support to the Commander of Maritime Forces/Joint Task Force Pacific in the consequence management of air and marine search and rescue operations.

Mr. Quealey’s credentials include a Graduate Certificate in disaster science from the University of Richmond in Virginia; a Master of Military Arts and Science from the United States Army Command and General Staff College; a Graduate Certificate in applied science from the Royal Military College of Science in England; and a Bachelor of Arts from the Royal Military College of Canada.

Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCM-SAR) is British Columbia’s volunteer marine rescue organization, a charity that is part of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary system. RCM-SAR’s 1,100 volunteers at more than 40 rescue stations are called to about 800 marine emergencies every year.

—

Media Contact:
RCM-SAR Media Relations
778 352-1006
media@rcmsar.com

RCM-SAR, the BC Search and Rescue Association and Provincial Emergency Program Air are establishing a memorial to honour British Columbia SAR volunteers who have died in the line of duty.

The memorial will be installed on the grounds of the B.C. Legislative Buildings alongside existing memorials to police, firefighters and paramedics.  The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly has given approval in principle for the memorial and has asked for design concepts.

RCM-SAR members and members of the other SAR organizations (and family, friends and others) are invited to submit design ideas.

The deadline is April 25. 

Design Considerations:

1. The design should incorporate some element(s) that are common to air, ground, and marine SAR; for example a large compass on the base,
2. Some elements specific to each of the three sectors (air, marine, and ground) may be incorporated in the design,
3. The large tree limbs which overhang the proposed site of the memorial, reaching almost to the sidewalks; a lower ‘platform’ with a raised portion (e.g. multisided pillar) may be appropriate,
4. Walkways will connect the memorial with the sidewalks; designs should recognize that visitors may step on or otherwise touch the memorial,
5. The other memorials include granite and some bronze, the design and materials should complement the other memorials; while being sufficiently different,
6. The design is not to exceed the height of the existing memorials, i.e. 2 metres or less,
7. Space should be allowed on any upright component to accommodate the names of those who have died in the line of duty by sector,
8. Drawings of a design should show the different aspects, fine details are not required at this stage,
9. This Invitation to Submit is not a commitment to proceed with any specific design(s) received, however should one or more submitted designs(s) (or specific elements thereof) be selected then the person(s) who submitted such will be acknowledged in any dedication materials
10. The final design approved by the Committee may incorporate elements and concepts from more than one submitted design.

Concepts can be submitted for consideration by the committee by email to:

sarmemorial@bcsara.com

The deadline is April 25th 2016.  Questions can be sent to the same address.

Submitted concepts are to be accompanied by:

1. Name, address, phone number and email address of the person(s) making the submission
2. A confirmation that the drawings/renderings of the design has been done by the person(s) making the submission
3. A statement that the person(s) submitting the design gives permission for the SAR Volunteer Memorial Committee to use the design or elements of the design for the specific purpose of establishing the memorial.
4. An acknowledgement that the SAR Volunteer Memorial Committee has sole, full and complete ownership of the intellectual property rights of the submitted design.

Features

• Receive geo-targeted notifications for a range of hazards.
• Practical and useful preparedness information for a range of disasters and emergencies.
• Access to in-app information anytime, anywhere even without reception or an internet connection.
• Interactive quizzes allow you to earn badges that you can share with your friends and colleagues.
• Toolkit with additional features e.g. flashlight, strobe, and alarm.

Administrative Assistant

About us:

Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue is the volunteer lifeboat service in British Columbia. A charity that is part of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary system, we operate about 40 marine rescue stations on the west coast and in the B.C. interior. A small staff at the Headquarters and Training Centre in East Sooke near Victoria supports more than 1,000 volunteers with member services, training, safety, equipment, and administrative support.

About the position:

Reporting to the Director of Administration, the Administrative Assistant’s duties will include:

• Membership intake and administration
o Membership applications
o ID cards
o Data system membership-related entries
• Training course administration
o Processing training course files
o Travel and accommodation coordination
• Data entry regarding membership, financial information, and charitable reporting
• Supplies and equipment ordering and inventory tracking
• Supporting directors and managers as required
• Phone reception
• Mail processing
• Other administrative duties as assigned

How to apply:

Please send your resume and cover letter to recruiting@rcmsar.com or fax 778 352-1781 or mail to 6040 East Sooke Road, Sooke B.C. V9Z 0Z7.

The deadline for applications is June 7, 2016.

Support a memorial to British Columbia’s search and rescue volunteers and get a chance to win an amazing dive experience in the Stingray 500 submarine!

Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue volunteers are offering raffle tickets with a prize of a two-hour dive for two in the Stingray sub operated by Aquatica Submarines. The underwater experience isvalued at $5,000.

The three-person sub is certified to 500 feet deep and can spend several hours exploring below the surface. Your dive can take place in the Vancouver area or near Nanaimo – your choice. The Howe Sound dive includes amazing glass sponge reefs by Eagle Harbour and Passage Island. Near Nanaimo the dive will take you to the Annapolis warship artificial reef in Halkett bay. You will see amazing sights and marine life from a comfortable and climate controlled submarine cabin.

Tickets are $5 each and available from your local RCM-SAR volunteers. The prize draw will take place December 14, 2016.
Proceeds support the British Columbia Search and Rescue Volunteer Memorial to the men and women who lost their lives in the line of volunteer duty on sea, land, and air. It will be erected on the grounds of the Legislative Buildings near existing memorials to B.C.’s police, firefighters and ambulance personnel.

Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue is a volunteer-based registered charity. Our 1,100 members operate 35 marine rescue stations in British Columbia responding to more than 800 emergencies each year. We save lives on the water.

Visit Aquatica Submarines for more information about the Submarine!

Thank you for your support.

RCMSAR members and other search and rescue volunteers from around the province attended the unveiling of the British Columbia Search and Rescue Volunteer Memorial at the Legislative Buildings on March 2. The memorial honours volunteers who died in the line of duty, and serves as a permanent tribute to all those who serve. The names of two RCMSAR members – Angie Nemeth and Beatrice Sorensen – are inscribed on the memorial. The memorial is located in the BC Emergency Services Garden of Honour.

This was a joint project of RCMSAR, the BC Search and Rescue Association and PEP Air representing marine, ground, and air volunteer rescue. RCMSAR members raised thousands of dollars through a raffle and donations towards the memorial. We are very proud of this lasting tribute to the volunteers who help keep British Columbians safe.

Click this link to view the whole ceremony here

A message from CEO Pat Quealey and RCMSAR Board of Governors Chair Greg Miller:

Next week is National Volunteer Week, a time to recognize the tremendous contributions of RCMSAR volunteers towards public safety in British Columbia.

We are proud to be among more than 12 million volunteers across Canada who devote time and energy to causes that benefit our communities.

Our more than 1,000 RCMSAR volunteers deserve special recognition for the vital work that they do. Communities can be thankful that our members are ready to sacrifice their other commitments to respond to an emergency on the water in sometimes very challenging conditions. Our volunteers devote hundreds of hours to SAR prevention and public safety education, help with maintenance and other tasks that keep a rescue station ready 24/7/365, and perform many other functions as part of their commitment to safety and professionalism.

Volunteerism is one of our core values and underlies our success in providing excellence in community-based marine safety. The spirit of volunteerism and sense of service to communities and individuals are at the heart of what motivates us.

Please take a bow, and thank you for being an RCMSAR volunteer. We are grateful for your dedication and service!

VICTORIA – August 3, 2017 – The August long weekend is one of the busiest boating weekends of the year, and Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCMSAR) crews are encouraging boaters to check their vessels, their safety gear, and the weather forecast to stay safe on the water. RCMSAR volunteers operate 35 rescue stations in British Columbia and respond to an average of 800 marine emergencies each year. The also provide free vessel safety checks for recreational boaters, and free loaner lifejackets for children through the Kids Don’t Float program at many docks and marinas.

RCMSAR crews remind B.C. boaters about the risks of impaired boating. About 40 per cent of boating deaths in Canada are related to alcohol. Combined with the sun, wind, and waves the effects of alcohol can be greatly increased on the water. Too often marine rescuers see the tragic results of drinking and boating, something that is both unsafe and illegal.

RCMSAR supports the Canadian Safe Boating Council in “Operation Dry Water”, a national public information campaign about the risks of impaired boating. The campaign encourages safe boating practices and reminds boat operators that they can be charged under the Criminal Code if their blood alcohol level exceeds the legal limit. Open alcohol containers are only allowed on boats that are designed with sleeping facilities, toilet and cooking facilities. Drinking is only allowed when that boat is at anchor, docked, or beached – never while underway. Learn more about Operation Drywater at www.csbc.ca.

As well as avoiding alcohol, RCMSAR crews remind you to wear a lifejacket, do a thorough vessel safety check, have an emergency signalling device, be weather aware, and know the risks of BC’s dangerously cold water. You can get more tips and tools on RCMSAR’s Safe Boating App through www.rcmsar.com

On Saturday, July 8, Juan De Fuca Search & Rescue (JDF SAR) conducted ground search and rescue (GSAR) training at the RCMSAR Headquarters and Training Centre in East Sooke. JDF SAR is an inland ground SAR group with more than 60 active members, with specialized teams in rope rescue, Project Lifesaver, swift-water rescue, first aid and tracking.
RCMSAR graciously granted JDF SAR permission to use the land at their training facility, just down the road from the JDF SAR HQ.

GSAR training is done in nearby wilderness areas but good tracker training ground is difficult to come by—it must have enough variable terrain to be able to teach to all levels within a relatively small area. The 25-acre RCMSAR training headquarters is ideal for GSAR tracker training because there is a wide array of landscapes—waterfront, multiple buildings, grassy fields, forests, creeks, ponds etc.
Almost twenty students participated and were divided up between beginners and more experienced trackers. The novices spent the day going slowly step-by-step, analyzing each footprint in detail. This painstaking process of close-up analysis of each footprint is essential to be an effective tracker and GSAR searcher.

The experienced trackers participated in a mock scenario that circumnavigated the property. They had to employ different sign-cutting techniques and were ultimately successful in tracking the subjects and finishing the scenario at the end of the day.
The day exceeded everyone’s expectations, due in part to the property with its wonderful waterfront location and mixed terrain. It had everything needed to provide learning points and complex scenarios that challenged the trackers in training.
JDF GSAR has requested the assistance of RCMSAR in the past with rescues that required boat access or searcher pick-ups/drop-offs but the two groups do not train together very often. In order to better prepare for actual responses, JDF welcomes the opportunity for building connections and joint training with RCMSAR.

When and why did you join RCMSAR?

I joined in November 2010. Our family has always held the value of service. We had recently moved to the area from the Gulf Islands and I was looking for a place to serve. After attending an information session during a recruitment drive my interest was sparked after members spoke about the training and the idea of being mission ready-from crew to craft to mission. And what made my decision was this statement: “The most important system is the crew system.” I was in. Oh, and I love mucking about in boats.

What sort of work do you do at the Regional Training Centre?

At the Regional Training Centre I work with Chief Instructor Francois Michaud as an assistant instructor in both the SAR 1 and SAR 2 simulator navigation courses. Most of my time is spent on the water putting into practice what has been taught in the class sessions and reviewed in the simulator. I also teach a couple of col reg. and nav. aid sessions. Moving into the fall I will be working with the team to support the new curriculum for the SAR skills and SAR nav. courses. This is a great fit for me, as I love seeing people challenged and growing personally and professionally, and our training centre is one of the great ways we do this in RCMSAR. I’m excited to see these new programs unfold and grow this winter.

What are you most looking forward to with the exchange?

I’m looking forward to so many things: experiencing different ideas, training methods, systems and equipment, meeting SAR members from so many countries and cultures, being on the Baltic on a SAR vessel (a new body of water for me), German food and maybe some authentic German beer.

What do you hope to gain from this experience?

It is hard for me to say for sure. I anticipate an opportunity to connect with coxswains from many different countries and through this am keen to learn of common practices or best practices as well as bringing home new or expanded methods/ideas for training. I know I’ll be challenged and that is exciting.

What do you hope to bring back to your station and the region in terms of skills and knowledge?

I have been well supported by RCMSAR as I became a coxswain. Many of the practices and foundational aspects of the programs I have experienced have been a reflection of past experiences that our own staff and members have brought home with them from similar times with the IMRF and its partnering countries. I hope to draw on this experience to continue to support and build on this rich history-and to be open to surprises.

RCMSAR Station Lax Kw’alaams

April 16, 2017

At 1955, RCMSAR Station Lax K’walaams was tasked by JRCC Victoria to a report of a 17-foot pleasure craft overturned at the south end of Birnie Island.

Crew members James Henry, Dwayne Wesley and Glen Wesley departed home base to assist.

When the FRC arrived on-scene they located two persons hanging onto the bow of a sunken vessel. Crew took them on-board and administered first aid. Wet and cold, the casualties were doing well.

The RCMSAR crew managed to get the stricken vessel upright and began de-watering procedures to re-float the boat, then towed it to port in Lax Kw’alaams where the boat was hauled out of the water.

RCMSAR Station Halfmoon Bay

April 20, 2017

At 0100, RCMSAR Station Halfmoon Bay was tasked by JRCC Victoria to a medevac from a tugboat liveaboard located in Porpoise Bay.

Crew members Peter Forster, Mark Wenn and Trevor Chapman arrived on-scene. They located one person lying on the floor of the vessel which was in a state of disrepair. Crews worked diligently and safely to clear a path of egress. The patient presented various complaints of pain but was found to be physically trapped by his couch. His legs were wedged under the couch and the crews had concerns of paralysis. Crews freed the man from entrapment, administered oxygen and placed him on a spine board for transportation to the Government Dock where BCEHS was waiting.

RCMSAR Station Sooke

June 3, 2017

At 1540, RCMSAR Station Sooke was tasked by JRCC Victoria to a report of an overturned vessel off Goodridge Islands, unknown if any persons were onboard.

Crew members Amber Frame, Rob Roe, Dave Steeves, Jason van der Valk and Jeff Walker departed home base en-route to the Sooke Basin.

They arrived in the vicinity of the Goodridge Islands but no vessel was located. Crews began to search the area and five minutes later located one person in the water holding a small jerry can. Scanning the waters around they located two more people close by and treading water, none were wearing floatation.

All three persons were quickly recovered, rewarmed and first aid administered. Crews quickly brought them to the closest marina where BCEHS was waiting.

RCMSAR’s sole inland-SAR station expanded their fleet this summer, launching their new vessel during Sicamous’ annual Sun and Sand Parade.

RCMSAR Station Shuswap welcomed the Tolonen, 40-foot 2007 Titan rigid inflatable SAR boat, on August 2, after a lengthy ground and water journey from its original base in Victoria. On August 5, the Tolonen joined the station’s boating safety vessel Shuswap Guardian One and other SAR vessel Shuswap Rescue One in the Sicamous parade. The public then toured the vessel during the community barbecue, which included words of congratulations for RCMSAR Station Shuswap from MP Mel Arnold (North Okanagan — Shuswap), MLA Greg Kyllo (Shuswap), Sicamous Mayor Terry Rysz and Salmon Arm Mayor Nancy Cooper. The official launch of the Tolonen then took place in Old Town Bay, followed by a cruise of the Sicamous Channel for the whole community to see.

“The whole day was exciting,” said Shuswap Station Leader Rob Sutherland. “We have had so much support from the community and our volunteers have put so much effort into training and responding to incidents on the Shuswap.”

Acquiring the New Vessel

The launch of the Tolonen celebrates two years of fundraising, planning and training by the members of Station Shuswap. Since becoming operational in May 2012, the station has been one of the region’s busiest, despite being the only station to be given the responsibility for inland marine-related search and rescue.

The station’s original SAR vessel is a 1989 29-foot Lifetimer converted crew boat, transferred to them from RCMSAR Station North Vancouver. “It has served the Shuswap well, with thousands of hours of training time and hundreds of hours saving lives and minimizing injuries,” said Sutherland. “It has been tasked to over 200 missions alongside BC Ambulance Service (BCAS) attendants under the supervision of the Sicamous BCAS Chief Kathy Crandlemire.”

“We have had so much support from the community and our volunteers have put so much effort into training and responding to incidents on the Shuswap.”

Over the past few years, a groundswell of community support and the increasing number of incidents on the Shuswap justified the addition of a newer, bigger, better boat. Donations from individuals and local businesses such as Waterway Houseboats, Bluewater Houseboats, Twin Anchors, the Shuswap Waterfront Club, the District of Sicamous and the Columbia Shuswap Regional District made the purchase of a new vessel a possibility. Fortunately, around this time RCMSAR Station Victoria deemed their rescue vessel the Tolonen surplus to their needs and agreed to transfer it to Station Shuswap.

On June 30, Station Shuswap took possession of the Tolonen and moved it to its original manufacturer, Titan Boats in Sidney, where it went through an extensive refit expected to extend its lifespan by at least 10 years. During this process, Station Shuswap members Dave Harvey, Allen Langworth and Rob Sutherland undertook jet drive propulsion training at the RCMSAR Training Centre in East Sooke, learning how to maneuver the vessel in all-weather and close-quarter conditions. Harvey and Langforth piloted the vessel from Sidney to RCMSAR Station Crescent Beach; the Tolonen completed its journey to Sicamous via trailer.

The Future

RCMSAR Station Shuswap has always worked very closely with other first responder units, such as BCAS, RCMP, Shuswap Search and Rescue and the Shuswap Fire Department. The addition of the Tolonen to Station Shuswap’s fleet will serve to strengthen the overall SAR response in the region and to enhance the support the station can provide to other first responders. According to Sutherland, “The Tolonen will enhance the SAR capabilities of the Shuswap tenfold for years to come.”

As a ten-year refit and enhancement of the vessel continues over the winter, station members look forward to putting the Tolonen into operation on the Shuswap in the new year.

For more information on RCMSAR Station Shuswap and its activities and ongoing projects, check out their website: www.rcmsar106.ca.

An RCMSAR West Vancouver crew took part in the dramatic rescue of four people forced to abandon their sinking vessel near Bowen Island.

On September 1, RCMSAR Station West Vancouver received the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre’s Mayday call at 4:21 p.m. Coxswain Roger Wagstaff and crew members Jake Brownlie, Mike Cupit and Hugh Kelsey departed base at 4:36 p.m., arriving on scene nine minutes later.

The crew spotted the distressed vessel, which had almost completely sunk – only the tip of the bow remained above water. Fortunately, the vessel’s four passengers had been plucked from the water by a vessel of opportunity and were all safe.

The West Vancouver crew transferred the four passengers over to their vessel, con firming that no one else had been onboard and ensuring that none of them needed medical attention. By this time the Coast Guard hovercraft Siyay arrived on scene and began dewatering and righting the vessel. The Coast Guard rescue craft Kitsilano I arrived moments later and boarded the West Vancouver vessel, ensuring that all passengers were safe and accounted for.

By 5:00 p.m. all involved resources agreed on a plan – the West Vancouver crew would take the four passengers to Horseshoe Bay while Kitsilano I recovered flotsam in the area and checked for pollution; the Siyay would tow the re-righted vessel into Horseshoe Bay.

At 5:15 p.m. the West Vancouver crew arrived at Horseshoe Bay and transferred the four passengers to a waiting shore crew headed by West Vancouver Coxswain Ian Grantham. The crew then headed out again to assist with the tow, taking over from the Coast Guard and bringing the vessel back to Horseshoe Bay by 6:15 p.m.

Thanks to all of the parties involved, this potentially deadly incident had a successful ending.

In an incident described by rescue crews as a miracle, a woman who jumped from a BC Ferry survived for five hours in BC’s frigid coastal waters before being rescued by an RCMSAR Station West Vancouver crew.

At 5:48 p.m. on October 30, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre tasked RCMSAR Station West Vancouver to respond to a Mayday call after they received reports of a woman jumping off the Queen of Cowichan ferry halfway through the voyage from Horseshoe Bay on the Lower Mainland to Departure Bay at Nanaimo.

West Vancouver Coxswain Bruce Falkins and crew members Robert Alexander, Ian Grantham and Rebecca Hathaway departed base 10 minutes later and began searching the route the ferry took. Once on scene the crew continued their search, along with resources from the Canadian Coast Guard, a Canadian Forces Cormorant helicopter and rescue boats from two BC Ferries.

“Even our most seasoned team member… was absolutely gob smacked that she was still alive.”

Over the next four hours the West Vancouver crew continued to search for the woman, conducting an expanding square search and deploying a datum marker buoy and a man overboard pole.

By 10:45 p.m., five hours after the woman had entered the water, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre stood down the search vessels, believing the woman could not have survived. Tasked to retrieve the buoys and life rings deployed as part of the search, the West Vancouver crew came upon the Queen of Cowichan’s life ring – with the woman floating inside.

The crew gently recovered the woman via their vessel’s swim grid and wrapped her in blankets. They then went alongside the nearby Coast Guard hovercraft Siyay and transferred the woman to their waiting crew, who provided medical care and transported her to shore and a waiting team of BC Ambulance paramedics.

This extraordinary instance of survival shocked everyone involved in the incident. “Honestly, I think it’s a miracle. Five hours in the water. Most people would not have survived that,” West Vancouver crew member Robert Alexander said. “Even our most seasoned team member… was absolutely gob smacked that she was still alive.”