Hope Search and Rescue crews were busy assisting the District of Hope with flood monitoring and public information to affected residents last week.
- May 15 the rescue boat was launched by search and rescue to assist the district in investigating potential damage to the banks of the Fraser River caused by high water levels. Director of operations at the district Kevin Dicken said other than erosion along Landstrom Road, which was a pre-existing issue, conditions along the banks looked good.
- May 16 HSAR members assisted the district in distributing evacuation alerts to residents affected by the rising water levels.
- Search and rescue manager Mario Levesque stated the team attends an average of 90 to 100 calls per year, half of those are motor vehicle incidents. To prepare for these calls, HSAR conducted a weekend vehicle extrication training May 11 to 13. The training included “hands on accident scene management, using extrication tools and accessing occupants from variously designed and alternative fuel vehicles,” Levesque stated in a news release. Locals Hope Towing provided the vehicles for the training and Jim Lasser assisted in the set up of the accident scenarios by lending the rescue team a backhoe loader.
