With the Easter long weekend quickly approaching, Okanagan search and rescue crews are urging people not to venture into the backcountry.
“It’s very tempting with the sunshine to be out there and enjoy it, but we have to make sure we stay on top of this thing,” Dan Schlosser, president of Central Okanagan Search and Rescue (COSAR), said of battling the spread of COVID-19.
Schlosser told Global News that not only should people be following public health orders to stay at home, but that getting hurt or lost while in the backcountry could pose a challenge.
“If we do get a call out, it makes things that much harder because you know, of the conditions out there and the lack of people out there,” Schlosser said.
“For example, if somebody went missing, one of the things we would do is we would talk to people that are up on the trails . . . have you seen John Doe? But if there’s nobody up there to ask, it’s a bit of a needle in a haystack.”
On Thursday, the B.C. Search and Rescue Association (BCSARA) issued a news release echoing that message, saying now is not the time to venture into B.C.’s wilderness.
BCSARA said that, so far, it appears people are heeding the advice.
“The average number of search and rescue calls in British Columbia in April is 121 and to see a 50 per cent reduction over last year in the first week is an excellent trend,” said Chris Kelly, BCSARA president.
“But we can do better. We are heading into our busy season where, historically, calls begin to increase. I’d like to see one week where we have no calls in the province, something that has not happened as long as I can remember.”
BCSARA said that there is a network of 79 ground search and rescue groups (GSAR) across the province, with roughly 2,500 highly trained unpaid professionals.
According to BCSARA, those people are all following orders and staying home to avoid interactions with others.
The groups have also halted training for the time being to avoid potentially contributing to the spread of COVID-19.
But BCSARA said that self-imposed isolation is lost when they answer the call for help and 20 to 30 members come together to assist in the rescue of someone they do not know.
“When called out, these search and rescue personnel try to maintain a distance of two meters from each other,” said BCSARA senior manager Dwight Yochim.
“They also have protocols in place to limit the number of members who interact with the lost or injured person. Those individuals put on personal protective equipment, they mask the subject and when the task is over, they have to disinfect their equipment.
“Every step of the way they have been placed at risk of exposure to COVID-19, and now so have their families.”
The search and rescue organization hopes British Columbians, including Okanagan residents, think twice before making their Easter long weekend plans.
“It would be amazing to see a week where GSAR personal were able stay at home because there were no calls,” said Yochim.