Volunteers from across the mid-Island attended annual group training, held in Nanaimo, on Saturday, Feb. 22, which involved several rescue scenarios in the Nanaimo harbour. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

Community service

VIDEO: ‘We consider ourselves professional volunteers:’ Nanaimo hosts marine SAR exercises

Feb 24, 2025 | 5:53 AM

NANAIMO — On a rainy morning as many people enjoyed their weekends, marine search and rescue volunteers were hard at work.

Semi-annual training exercises, held in Nanaimo Saturday, Feb. 22, were testing out response to a multitude of different situations on and off shore.

One scenario depicted a mock rescue of a routine nature, with Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue personnel assessing stranded yacht operator with engine trouble with the same measured approach as if it was a life-threatening emergency.

“We need remain calm because bad things happen if you’re panicking,” Royal Canadian Marine (RCM) Search and Rescue Station 27 spokesperson Russel Berg said at the exercise scene.

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NanaimoNewsNOW attended a pair of morning exercise drills to get a first-hand look at the valued service volunteer marine based SAR crews provide.

Nearby, a drill depicting a higher-stakes situation was playing out, involving a pair of distressed capsized kayakers.

A second, more complex drill involved a pair of women flipping their kayaks and swimming to Saysutshun.

One patient was injured and needed medical attention.

However, her accomplice was in severe medical distress and had to be rescued from a rock ledge near Saysutshun’s main dock.

The full day event on Saturday involved RCM SAR crews from Ladysmith, Nanaimo and Port Alberni who all attended ocean-based drills, while a crew from Deep Bay turned around en-route due to poor weather.

Several other partners assisted in the drills in Nanaimo’s harbour, which included classroom instruction to complement the training exercises.

Berg, who’s volunteered with RCM SAR Station 27 for nearly a decade, is also a school teacher.

Lessons he’s learned over the years with RCM SAR include being adaptable to different situations, emphasizing every response presents its own set of challenges.

“Every time we enter a situation, we are having to make up how we’re going to approach it in new ways,” Berg said. “It really requires some creative thinking to maintain the safety of our crew, our craft and then the people we’re trying to help.”

A dummy was used in various rescue scenarios, including a water-based one near Duke Point. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

He said their members have gained a lot of knowledge exchanging tips with fellow RCM SAR volunteers, as well as professionals with the Canadian Coast Guard, who have bases on Salt Spring Island to the south and French Creek to the north.

He said Snuneymuxw First Nation, Nanaimo RCMP, BC Ambulance Service, Nanaimo Port Authority and others work with their organization to enhance safety on the expansive ocean in the Nanaimo area.

“We consider ourselves professional volunteers because our training level is very high. It takes a year for a person to be trained to the point where they’re considered a crew member who takes an active part in the missions that we’re engaged in.”

While Nanaimo RCM SAR has responded to as many as 100 call-outs annually historically, Berg said prioritizing safety appears to be improving among the boating public, sending callout volume numbers downward in recent years.

He estimated over the past 20 years their crews have saved over 200 lives.

“That’s not just helping people who’re running out of gas, but actually people who’re in in danger of dying in circumstances on the water,” Berg said.

About 30 active volunteers outfit RCM SAR Station 27 in Nanaimo, providing around the clock coverage courtesy of two vessels.

More information on Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue Nanaimo, including volunteering and donating information, can be found on the non-profit organization’s website here.

Crews from Nanaimo, Ladysmith, Oceanside and Port Alberni were among the roughly 40 volunteers in attendance. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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