It was a busy Labour Day weekend for Penticton Search and Rescue, with five requests for help.
The first call came in Friday morning, at 8 a.m., to rescue an injured paraglider in the hills above Hedley.
That was followed by three rescue calls on Saturday followed by a helicopter team rescuing two hikers in the Matriach Mountain area on Monday.
“Five tasks in over four days are above average,” Penticton Search and Rescue (PENSAR) said in a press release.
Search and rescue volunteer manager Kelvin Hall said a helicopter long-line team was dispatched on Friday to rescue the paraglider, who reportedly had serious injuries. The paraglider was rescued, then flown to Kelowna General Hospital for treatment.
On Saturday, air and ground teams were deployed during the day.
Up first were two injured ATV riders. The first was at 11:30 a.m., in the Tulameen area, north of Princeton. The second was a call for air help from Central Okanagan Search and Rescue for an injured rider in the Bear Creek area.
In between those two, PENSAR said Penticton RCMP requested their help in investigating a vehicle down a bank off Highway 97 south of Penticton.
PENSAR said the helicopter crew returning from Tulameen was in the vicinity and spotted the vehicle, but no occupants were inside.
On Monday, a helicopter team was launched after police received a distress beacon from Cathedral Provincial Park.
The search crew located two hikers who were suffering from hypothermia and lack of supplies. They were evacuated and taken away by B.C. Ambulance personnel from Keremeos, which had staged near Highway 3 and Ashnola Road.
For more about Penticton Search and Rescue, click here.