Nanaimo SAR trainees are capping two months of training with a 24-hour exercise on Mount Benson starting on the morning of Saturday, March 8. (Nanaimo SAR)

By Ian Holmes

roughing it

Nanaimo SAR trainees tackle 24-hour Mount Benson training drill

Mar 8, 2025 | 6:49 AM

NANAIMO — A handful of recruits have one more mission before their training is complete to join Nanaimo Search and Rescue’s ranks.

Based on the weather forecast, it’s shaping up to be a wet weekend for 10 Nanaimo SAR trainees, tasked with a mandated extended field exercise on Mount Benson starting on the morning of Saturday, March 8.

“It shows the grit, determination and the skills that they’ve developed, and they get to put it to use and spend 24 hours in the field which is a fantastic experience for them,” Nanaimo SAR president Carly Trobridge told NanaimoNewsNOW.

Mandated by the Justice Institute of B.C., around 20 existing Nanaimo SAR members are overseeing the lengthy drill.

During the day, Trobridge said trainees will do a range of exercises while replicating a rescue call-out of an injured hiker.

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She noted a variety of skill-testing stations will be established and constantly monitored by Nanaimo SAR members.

“There’s different things involved like stretcher carry, rope work, throw-bag work, it really varies, and I won’t give too much away because it’s a bit of a surprise for the members as well, but general SAR skills will be tested that they’ve learned over the last eight weeks.”

Replicating the rescue of an injured hiker will be carried out this weekend on Mount Benson (Nanaimo SAR)

Daytime operations will be conducted on the entire front side of the mountain facing Nanaimo, while Trobridge said an overnight camp out will be set up on the south side of the mountain.

Trainees will only have the use of their 24-hour survival packs during the mission, Trobridge noted.

Nanaimo RCMP is aware of the exercise, while Trobridge said people don’t need to be concerned if they notice unusual activity on the mountain overnight Saturday.

“There will be small fires, there will be plenty of light visible from different aspects of the city, so that’s just us and our members on the mountain and nothing to be concerned about.”

Nanaimo SAR trainees will be using basic tarp shelters and small fires to stay warm overnight Saturday. (Nanaimo SAR)

Aside from reinforcing various SAR training principles and survival skills, Trobridge said this exercise typically done bi-annually helps build camaraderie and compassion.

“They develop a lot of empathy for the subjects that we are tasked to search for because not everybody is not found in the first operational period and sometimes they spend the night outside,” she said.

There are no restrictions to public access on Mount Benson as a result of the Nanaimo SAR drill.

Nanaimo SAR is an integral volunteer-run organization comprised of upwards of 60 volunteers.

The organization has averaged around 60 call-out tasks annually over the past several years involving distressed and lost outdoor enthusiasts, as well as urban searches for missing people.

Various aspects of Nanaimo SAR’s training program will be put the test for trainees this weekend (Nanaimo SAR)

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