Urban search and rescue team lends a hand

It’s still unsafe for hundreds of residents to return to Twin Lakes Beach.

“It’s almost been three weeks, we haven’t been allowed near,” said resident Lilli Schneider.

But on Thursday, the Province announced that these residents would have some extra assistance with getting them in and out of their homes safely, as members of the Urban Search and Rescue team were being sent to help.

“This is a well trained crew of 100 people that will be deployed out to St. Laurent,” Premier Greg Selinger said at a media conference Thursday morning.

The team, composed of doctors, police officers, engineers and everyday volunteers, will use dogs, boats, even a helicopter to go in and make sure buildings are structurally safe, so their owners can return to collect belongings.

At the end of May, a massive wind storm damaged and destroyed 400 homes and cottages in the RM of St. Laurent along Lake Manitoba.

Earlier this week, property owners showed up at the Manitoba Legislature in Winnipeg to ask that they be allowed back in to salvage and protect what they can, before the next storm hits.

“So at least let us get in a try and save our own places,” said area resident Jeff Peemoeller.

So, for the next two weeks, the Urban Search and Rescue team will be stationed in St. Laurent, and will be taking the first group of residents in on Friday.

“We’ll do a list of the personal affects that they want, we won’t have people in there very long, we will secure those personal affects and then we’ll get them, the people back out of the area,” said Chris Jones of the Office of the Fire Commissioner, the agency overseeing the USAR team.

“Owners will be notified of when they can re-enter, and understandably, it will likely be a very traumatic scene for some, so psychologists will be on-hand to help people deal with their loss.

“Some of the people are seeing their home for the first time, and it’s pretty dramatic and it’s hard to take,” Jones said.