Vernon SAR wins UTV in online voting contest

Vernon Search & Rescue has won a much needed piece of equipment for their operations.

On-line voting closed at 9 p.m. Friday in the Kioti Tractor contest with the victor riding away in a $20,000 side-by-side all-terrain vehicle.

Vernon Search & Rescue spokesperson Trevor Honigman said theirs was the only Canadian entry.

“It blew us away how much the community got behind us,”  Honigman said.  “And by community, I mean Vernon, the north Okanagan, B.C., and Canada.”

Honigman said Vernon was trailing by about 800 votes early Friday afternoon, but in a final push, Vernon’s entry ended up about 450 votes ahead by the time the contest closed.

“We are very thankful,” Honigman said.

First Responder entrants from across North America submitted a video about their operations with people then voting for their favourite video.

Honigman said he hasn’t recieved official confirmation from the Kioti Tractor company yet, but he is confident that Vernon did come out on top.