Busy long weekend for Central Okanagan Search and Rescue

It was anything but a vacation for Central Okanagan Search and Rescue crews this past holiday weekend.

A spokesperson for COSAR said it was a busy time, with crews involved in searching for a missing cliff diver, along with two requests for help on Sunday that came within 20 minutes of each other.

On Sunday, the first request involved a sinking boat with 10 people aboard near Pritchard Drive in West Kelowna.

The call for help, though, was cancelled when COSAR said it was told all 10 made it ashore safely.

Minutes later, though, COSAR received a call to rescue an injured outdoor enthusiast following an ATV incident in the hills above West Kelowna, near Bear Lake.

COSAR said the rider had severely injured his arm, and that a helicopter crew was called in to extract him. But with darkness nearing, 20 personnel were called in, just in case it got too dark.

1:20 ‘SOS’ written in sand saves 3 stranded men on remote Pacific island

The helicopter crew, though, managed to evacuate the rider just before dusk. He was taken to a nearby ambulance, which then transported him to Kelowna General Hospital.

For more about Central Okanagan Search and Rescue, click here.