Central Cariboo Search and Rescue will be participating in a mock search exercise on Saturday, May 25 in the 150 Mile House area.
Grant MacPherson, a search manager with CCSAR, said they went out and notified residents in the Redeau Lake Road area about the exercise which will occur from about 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the fact they will be using one of the ball fields as a staging area.
“It will be the first mock search of this size that we have had in a while,” MacPherson told the Tribune Sunday, noting it is expected around 15 members will participate. “We have a number of members who just finished a Ground Search and Rescue Course that involved 90 hours of work. It will be nice to be able to introduce them to a search.”
Sunny weather conditions are in the forecast, which he said is not the norm when CCSAR is doing a search.
“Usually it is dark or wet when we do a real search,” he added.
CCSAR was called to rescue an injured dirt biker on the hill northeast of Chimney Lake on Sunday, May 5.
“He was injured pretty badly and the ambulance was unable to access the site. We went with four four-wheel drive truck that has the capability to carry a stretcher.”
MacPherson said residents are welcome to come out and observe the mock exercise.
“If we were carrying out a real search, we know locals would be curious so we are expecting the same. We have told the local residents that air support will be involved.”
The scenario will involve an injured quad driver whose cell phone call to 9-1-1 stops mid-sentence. The last thing he tells the emergency operator is that he can see the lights of a farm house and is heading in that direction.
MacPherson said the exercise will emphasize how helpful it is when a call for distress can at least provide the point last seen and direction of travel and the importance of them staying put.
Part of the exercise will involve a sound sweep where members will be space 200 feet apart or 200 metres, if necessary, to walk with a compass.
They will blow whistles and listen for a possible response from the injured person.
If he is not located they will condense the sweep to being 10 feet apart.
“We will use different search techniques,” MacPherson said.
MacPherson has been with CCSAR for 20 years and said some of the people participating in the mock rescue will be taking a day off work to volunteer.
As of Sunday, May 19 at noon, CCSAR had not been dispatched to any calls during the long weekend.
Read more: CCSAR members hone flat ice rescue skills
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