“We’ve been lucky over the years,”: PG SAR on Search and Rescue Volunteer Memorial Day

The dedication and sacrifice Search and Rescue Crews across the province including Prince George is being recognized by the BC Government.

Today (Tue) is Search and Rescue Volunteer Memorial Day where the province remembers those who have lost their lives while trying to save the life of another.

Dave Merritt with PG SAR told MyPGNow.com they average between 35 and 50 calls per year and quite often, travel a much greater distance to get to their destination.

“If we get a call at around 3 o’clock in December we know we cannot fly because a helicopter can’t get there and that means we are doing ground trips. Where that is a bit of a risk for us is that we can’t really go into avalanche terrain at dark because we cannot assess the safety of it.”

“We have such a large space between all of our communities. For us to travel to the far end of our area consists of two to three hours of driving. We usually get our calls late in the day so one of the things we struggle with is that helicopters can’t fly at night.”

Merritt admits the local chapter has been quite lucky in making sure everyone comes back in one piece.

“We’ve been really lucky over the years. We have not had a lot of incidents where our star volunteers have been severely hurt. All in all, we have an amazing program and they are very dedicated and cautious about what they do.”

“We get a lot of mutual aid calls and if we have to go to the Pine Pass, we have to support one of the other SAR teams whether it is Chetwynd, Mackenzie, or Tumbler Ridge and we have to do three to five hours of driving. If we don’t have that daylight and get those calls earlier in the day so that we can go and fly there, we are on the ground a lot longer.”

Last month, Fort Saint James Search and Rescue were called to save a woman with a broken leg from an icy mountain in the area.

BC’s 79 ground search and rescue groups along with the Provincial Emergency Program Air responded to nearly 2-thousand incidents during the first 11 months of the 2020-21 fiscal year.

Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth issued the following statement on Search and Rescue Volunteer Memorial Day:

“With each deployment, these responders risk their own safety. Tragically, some of our best and brightest search and rescue volunteers have lost their lives in the line of duty in years past. To compound the challenges these volunteers face, the last 11 months have been the busiest in the history of B.C.’s search and rescue program.”

“When COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic in early 2020, we were all challenged to adjust our approaches to daily life to stay safe and healthy. Many people responded by seeking out the beauty of B.C.’s trails and backcountry.”

“On this Search and Rescue Volunteer Memorial Day, I extend my deep gratitude to the thousands of selfless volunteers who put service above self and, in doing so, make British Columbia a safer place to live, work and play.”