The mock exercise featured a white water rafting excursion in which an initial search for two people expanded to 13 distressed rafters. (Nanaimo SAR)

By Ian Holmes

rescue exercise

Nanaimo SAR hosts large-scale drill

May 6, 2024 | 4:31 PM

NANAIMO — A mock training exercise in response to a white water rafting adventure gone wrong played out this weekend on the Nanaimo River.

More than 100 dedicated search and rescue volunteers took part in a day-long training exercise and specialty clinics this past weekend in Nanaimo.

Nanaimo Search and Rescue president Carly Trobridge said a dozen south coast teams attended on Saturday, May 4, with the lead exercise involving 13 distressed rafters.

Trobridge said the training exercise included a technical swift water rope rescue and K9 unit.

“We really wanted to be able to work the scenario as it would happen in real life, in real time and have different pieces of information come in throughout the morning and throughout the day.”

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Communication and technical rope rescue skills were put to the test. (Nanaimo SAR)

Search managers and front-line SAR personnel benefit greatly from realistic mock training in order to better respond in a real-world situation, Trobridge said.

In this case, a dropped 911 call of two missing rafters grew to 13 needing to be rescued.

Crediting the cohesive training regiment their members receive from the Justice Institute of B.C. and B.C. Search and Rescue Association, Trobridge said what stood out to her from the weekend was how well the SAR volunteers worked together.

“These are people you see maybe two or three times a year and they get together and work flawlessly together,” Trobridge said, noting mutual aid responses are a hallmark of search and rescue operations.

More than 100 SAR volunteers were in Nanaimo this past weekend for Rescue on the Rock. (Nanaimo SAR)

The large-scale Rescue on the Rock training weekend hasn’t taken place on Vancouver Island in 2018.

Trobridge said with funding tight for non-profit organizations, they felt fortunate to stage such a valuable event.

“We’ve been very lucky in Nanaimo with fundraising and public donors that we did have the funds available this year and decided to resurrect this event. We’re absolutely thrilled that it went so well.”

Donations to Nanaimo SAR can be made here through the organization’s website.

As the weather improves, backcountry enthusiasts are reminded to be prepared just in case outings don’t go as planned.

SAR Top 10 trip essentials

• Firestarter (matches, lighter)
• Flashlight or headlamp
• Extra food and water
• Extra clothes
• Pocket knife
• Shelter (tarp)
• First aid kit
• Compass or GPS device
• Cell phone
• Whistle or signal device

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Ian.holmes@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes