Penticton Search and Rescue first responders were activated at 4:50 p.m. on Friday to respond to a fallen/injured male climber in the Skaha Bluffs (Ravens Castle) area.
While the IRT provided first aid to the subject, the HETS (Helicopter External Transportation System) team scrambled from Penticton Airport onboard Eclipse Helicopters.
“It was determined at the initial callout that the subject was injured badly and required a hasty extraction from the area. Carrying the subject out on a stretcher was not an option tonight,” said SAR Manager Ron Muir.
Nineteen SAR members responded to the call and the Initial Response Team was on site with the subject within 35 minutes of the callout. Two RCMP members were also on scene and PENSAR said they appreciated their help on the slippery slopes very much.
Within an hour, the subject was treated, packaged and transported from the bluffs parking lot (EHS), and en route to Penticton General Hospital. No update on the climbers condition was provided.
Muir praised the SAR group noting that our response was safe, fast, professional, and helped save a life.
“It really was an excellent response and outcome and a true test of our readiness to help injured or lost people in our region. PENSAR has demonstrated that our long training sessions throughout the slower winter season has paid off,” said Muir.
PENSAR is a group of 52 professional volunteers on call 24/7, dedicated to helping save lives in the Okanagan Similkameen regions. www.pensar.ca
