Creston Valley Search and Rescue
1993 B Airport Rd V0B1G2 Creston, BC, Canada

Kimberley SAR responded late yesterday afternoon to an avalanche in the Summer Lake area involving a buried individual. Teams were transported by helicopter and moved one subject to a waiting ambulance. Thank you to all the responders from both Kimberley SAR and Cranbrook SAR.

https://fb.me/e/23hbJN4kR

LEARN TREEWELL SAFETY & EXTRICATION: We are well into the winter season and snow totals are piling up. While staying safe in avalanche terrain is constantly on ...the mind of backcountry travelers, tree wells and snow immersion suffocation (SIS) is a component of snow safety that is often overlooked. It turns out that 20% of fatalities in public ski areas are due to deep snow immersion. Tree well incidents are preventable, and with some practice, removing a victim from a tree well can be a swift and efficient process. WATCH VIDEO & READ: https://backcountryaccess.com//learn-tree-well-safety-extr #backcountryaccess #sendandreturn See more

40 years ago today. The Hug-A-Tree and Survive program was developed in San Diego, California in response to the loss of the life of a young boy, nine year ol...d Jimmy Beveridge son of Jacquie Smith Beveridge. In February 1981, Jimmy was camping with his parents and brothers when he became lost. Despite a valiant 3-day search by law enforcement personnel, human trackers, 400 volunteer searchers, 200 Marines, and search & rescue dogs, Jimmy regrettably passed away as the result of hypothermia. Many of the people involved were deeply affected by this tragedy and wished to find a way to prevent similar mishaps from ever happening again. The Hug-A-Tree and Survive Program was first adapted for Canadian use by the RCMP. It was updated by the National Search and Rescue Secretariat (NSS) and the Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada in 2015 with new videos and activities to support program delivery. We’ve delivered this program to over 250,000 children in British Columbia and are very proud to continue helping the young adventurers be safe outdoors. https://www.adventuresmart.ca/kids/hugatree.htm

Some valuable lessons learned from these riders and a happy outcome. Please be kind to those who may need it. Ambassadors of the sledding community show kindness to those in need of assistance. Many methods of communication are so essential when in the back country. Radios would have been super helpful in this event when the two riders got separated.

Thank you #BCAdventuresmart

Know before you go. #bcadventuresmart https://fb.watch/2jA_da9Zl3/

It’s been a lot of health and safety policy changes this year. Thank you to everyone who helps us stay on top of these keeping our volunteers safe.

Get signed up with some avi training. Winter is coming soon.

Awesome work to all involved in this rescue.

Foggy night training always adds an element of realness.

TRIP PLAN TUESDAY Needle in a hay stack! ... ‘Signalling for Help’, do you know how? Consider Your Signaling Position It’s extremely important to put yourself in the ‘eyes of the rescuer’ when it comes to signaling for help. Ensure you can position yourself in the right location so the search and rescue members will be able to see your signal clearly and respond efficiently. Signal Mirror & Whistle Of the essentials you should be carrying in your safety kit, the whistle and mirror signaling devices are great tools to have, as long as you know how to use them properly. Using the mirror or other reflective items such as a knife, belt buckle, sunglasses or watches can be an effective way to get the attention of searchers in aircraft, on top of a ridge or a hillside. Many searches take place on the ground, with dedicated searchers hiking through the bush trying to find you. If you have an emergency signaling whistle, you can blast it 3 times, take a break, blast 3 times again and continue to do this. If there are ground search and rescue members within hearing distance, they will locate you. Remember, to stop blasting occasionally, so you can hear the searchers responding to your calls. Be Bright! (cloths, tent) SAR volunteers like to see BRIGHT, vivid colours, making it easier to spot you. Shopping soon for new gear? Think about your colour choices. Be Searchable, Be AdventureSmart Being searchable enables rescuers to help faster. Follow the tips above and check out our friends over Recco Advanced Rescue Technology for details on their Backpack Rescue Reflector as a great addition to your essentials. The Backpack Rescue Reflectors are available @ the British Columbia Search and Rescue Association website as well. https://www.bcsara.com//recco-reflectors-now-available-on/ Thanks to the awesome crew @ Talon Helicopters for all their hard work and this picture! https://www.adventuresmart.ca/tripplanning/signaling.htm

380 #BCSAR volunteers, 33 tasks last week. Just because it's the shoulder season doesn't mean these unpaid volunteers are not busy. You can help protect yoursel...f at this time of year by being aware of the hypothermia risks due to quickly changing temperatures, and dressing for the potential weather. Full weekly incident summary http://ow.ly/HuAg50C56P9

Take care in the back country. Helmets are important as well as good decisions!

Here’s a great video explaining how to train search dogs and what search dogs do.

Please take a read before buying a new transceiver this winter.

https://fb.me/e/6xJh6MLZF

Trip Plan Tuesday. Which way do I go ... Strong map reading skills are a must! Got a compass? Know how to use it! Navigate to these helpful resources to learn more; https://www.adventuresmart.ca/land/orienteering.htm https://orienteeringbc.ca/ http://bcgeocaching.com/ https://gvoc.whyjustrun.ca/

Enter to win some free gear from BC AdventureSmart!

Excellent job Fernie SAR!

#BCSAR groups had a busy start to August, with many groups taking on multiple tasks in 24-hour spans. Help reduce the number of incidents in BC by reducing your... risks - stick to lower risk activities in areas you know, trip plan, train and take your essentials. Read the full weekly incident report http://ow.ly/aWEu50AX6gk Learn more about being AdventureSmart http://ow.ly/YQPU50AX6gl : Kaslo Search and Rescue