Hope Volunteer Search and Rescue

Hope SAR was tasked out yesterday at 15:15 to rescue a pair of stranded snowmobilers near Murphy Lakes. The pair became stranded when their machine slid over an embankment 22 km down the service road.

Members deployed on snowmobiles and in our heated UTV to retrieve the duo. Despite some rerouting due to a slide on one of the service roads, the team was successfully able to bring the sledders back to their vehicle at 22:30.

We would like to acknowledge that the pair was well equipped with warm clothing and a Garmin inReach. There is no cell service in this area, and there were no other sledders nearby when this happened, so tools to communicate in the backcountry are essential for these types of emergencies.

We are also thankful for the team effort of getting our own cargo-hauling vehicle unstuck after it sat for 7 hours in soft snow in freezing temperatures which made for an unexpected hour of troubleshooting at the end of a task.

If you've heading beyond Hope right now, please check the health of your tires, pack emergency supplies and drive with extreme caution. There have been numerous serious accidents over the last week, especially on highway 5, and the conditions are constantly changing.

Please slow down and move over for emergency vehicles when you see them approaching.

Stay safe everyone!

While we try to get most of our training done during the slower shoulder seasons, it's often pretty miserable out there. The only training that actually loves the rain is swiftwater and the team sure loves getting their hours in this time of year.

Special thanks to .creates.art for making the team look good.

Hope SAR responded to a call yesterday at 14:58 to rescue an injured climber at Area 71 in Hope, BC.

We are thankful that the call came in immediately after the injury happened and that the subject and their party stayed in place until we arrived. They were well prepared with extra clothes and provisions.

Accidents can happen when you least expect it, so being prepared for a worst case scenario is always your best defense. It was a sunny day yesterday, and the area is very close to town, so it can be easy for people to let their guard down. This group wasn’t complacent and we’d like to acknowledge how smoothly the rescue went as a result.

The carry out from this location was incredibly difficult due to steep, rugged terrain, but our subject was stoic despite the severity of the injury. We wish her a speedy recovery.

For those who don’t know, please keep in mind that a call for SAR is always free. Please call as soon as possible, especially at this time of year when night comes quickly.