Coquitlam rescue unit still waiting for approved rescue gear
Posted February 1, 2013 11:22 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
COQUITLAM (NEWS1130) – Many local search and rescue units are still unable to use equipment designed to retrieve hikers and snowshoers from difficult spots.
Back in October, search organizations across the country had their helicopter long-line rescue gear de-certified, leaving units like Coquitlam Search and Rescue without a means to drop rescuers in to get at stranded outdoor enthusiasts.
North Shore Rescue was able to get its rescue kit recertified in November, but other units are left waiting.
Coquitlam’s unit had just acquired the helicopter long-line after years of fundraising. It couldn’t be brought up to Transport Canada codes, so the rescuers are waiting for a new one, which could come any day now.
But even if it were to arrive soon, the team will still need some practice with the lines before using them on a rescue.
“You have to remember our team hasn’t been using the equipment for some months now. The members have to refamiliarize themselves with the equipment. It will probably be a few weeks before the members are comfortable enough, once they get the gear, to actually use it,” explains the search and rescue unit’s Dwight Yochim.
He’s hoping the long-lines will become part of their rescue arsenal for their busy season.
“Springtime is when people start to go hiking again and there’s snow on the mountain. That’s when we’ve had to borrow a team with a kit the most often in the past,” he says.
He stresses that the long-lines not only facilitate rescues, they protect the lives of the volunteers, who would otherwise have to trek in to retrieve lost hikers.
