Campbell River Search and Rescue

Campbell River Search and Rescue Society is a group of dedicated volunteers who provide a vital lifeline to those who are lost or injured in the beautiful wilderness of northern Vancouver Island.

The nature of search and rescue work in British Columbia seems to be changing. Because of technology, we are doing less actual searching and more responding to calls of help from people who can tell us where they are. But the challenge for us is that we must still stay trained and ready for the next big search.

Campbell River Search and Rescue would not be a fraction of what it is today, without ongoing support from our community. Local government, service clubs, businesses and individuals have contributed enormous resources toward training, equipment and facilities, and for that we are very grateful. Tax deductible donations can be made directly through our website.

BC SAR Groups do not solicit funds by phone

Neither the BCSARA nor the Search and Rescue groups recognized by the Province as part of the Public Safety Lifeline solicit funding by telephone. You can learn more about this policy, and what to do if someone has contacted you by phone claiming to be a SAR group requesting funds here: BCSARA : Telephone Solicitation

It was another busy year for Campbell River Search & Rescue.

As always, the range of our call outs are wide and varied over Vancouver island and it’s inlets and surrounding...

SRD Recognizes Volunteers Judy Hagen and Marg Carr for Ten Years of Regional Emergency Support Services

Picture attached: Rick Wall (Chair, NIEP Society) acknowledged Marg Carr & Judy Hagen with flowers and...

We are #CRSAR – Meet Eric Teramura

WE ARE #CRSAR Search and Rescue works because of a dedicated group of volunteers. This dedicated group of volunteers...

Thank you to Gavin and his crew at Sea Com Marine Electric for donating their time in upgrading the marine navigation on our Marine 1 unit! We love the support we get from the community of Campbell River!
#crsar #bcsara ...

‪Our Saturday along with Comox Valley Ground Search & Rescue was spent looking for a missing subject on N. Vancouver Island. Thank you to all the members for taking time away from their families to assist those in need on ...

Photos from Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society's post After a busy weekend it was time to clean the hall, restock supplies, repair gear and get ready for the next call out.
#crsar #sar #discovercampbellriver #searchandrescue

Timeline Photos Campbell River Search and Rescue would like to thank the local businesses and volunteers who helped in our search efforts this weekend. Your contributions are greatly appreciated!
@BCSARAssoc @BCAdvSmart BC AdventureSmart British Columbia Search and Rescue Association

Timeline Photos Campbell River SAR has been busy this weekend. With two simultaneous searches, we have requested help from other SAR groups (known as "mutual aid"). Saturday alone, around 100 SAR members put in almost 1000 hours of work. Both searches are ...

Timeline Photos Being a Search and Rescue volunteer can be hard work, both emotionally and physically. Did you know that our volunteers have extra support for their mental wellbeing?
#cismsaturday
BC AdventureSmart BC AdventureSmart
@BCSARAssoc @BCAdvSmart

British Columbia Search and Rescue Association More than 270 #BCSAR volunteers responded to 23 requests for service last week. Do you know how to signal for help if you need it? There are several different ways to get searchers attention 👉 https://adventuresmart.ca/tripplanning/signaling.htm
Full weekly incident summary ...

Timeline Photos Winter time can be fun! Alpine resorts are bordered by uncontrolled wilderness areas. Respect the boundary lines and
don’t ski out of bounds. Make sure you know the Alpine Responsibility Code and learn about the
danger of tree wells. AdventureSmart ...

Campbell River Mirror Keep your distance. The wet weather has the Campbell River surging at high volume. BC Hydro will be releasing reservoirs over the next over the next week.
BC Hydro is issuing a public safety notice to stay away from the ...

Comox Valley Record Newsroom Way to go Cowichan Search & Rescue!!!
The father and son were cold and tired when they were found, but otherwise OK.
Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society

How to stay warm by layering your clothing | MEC Staying warm and maintaining range of motion, while being active in winter, is achieved by good clothing choices and proper layering. Always consider the possibility of weather deterioration and unexpected prolonged exposure. #thingshappen #beprepared
Stay warm and dry when hiking ...

Some of our members participated in an Organized Avalanche Rescue Team Member course on Mt. Washington last Saturday. While one of our members waves as he drives by in the groomer! Hi Tim 👋

AdventureSmart A valuable message to snowmobilers from our friends AdventureSmart! Plan ahead, be prepared and play safe!
Personal floatation devices aren’t just for boating. Wear your personal flotation devices anytime you are near water, especially with snowmobiles & ATV’s on frozen ...

Photos from Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society's post Last night we practiced searching for missing subjects and used our rope skills to retrieve a subject caught on a cliff edge. Thanks to all our members and Comox Valley Ground Search & Rescue who showed up to practice in ...

Are you traveling in the backcountry this weekend? Do you know the conditions of where you are going? Head on over to https://www.islandavalanchebulletin.com/ to get a better idea of what’s going on out there in the mountains.
#crsar #bcsara #vibulletin

Timeline Photos Do you know where to get the latest information on avalanche activity on Vancouver Island? Click on the the link below to find out.
https://www.islandavalanchebulletin.com/

CBC News Way to go SAR teams in the interior!
"He was found in very good health, and happy to see our teams."
Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society

Kamloops Search and Rescue Happy New Year! We hope your compass points you in the right direction and your boots support your journey while you enjoy lots of outdoor adventures this year.
(JS / Photo: Unsplash)
Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society

Timeline Photos Even though it is the holidays, we are ready to go!
We are always prepared to respond, 24hrs a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Stay safe over the holidays! Remember, if you need search and rescue, ...

Timeline Photos Campbell River Search and Rescue is preparing for winter! Here we are practicing using our winch system.
British Columbia Search and Rescue Association
BC AdventureSmart

Photos from Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society's post On Monday February 10th, 5 of our members traveled up to Mt Cain to take the AST + Theory to Practice Course with Island Alpine Guides.
This course focused on gaining experience in decision making while traveling through avalanche terrain, furthering the skills of our Avalanche Rescue Team.
We were grateful for the sunny weather and to Ryan Shelley for the excellent instruction!

Comox Valley Ground Search & Rescue The team has been busy the past few days, and continuing on into tomorrow, providing mutual aid to our friends to the north, Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society. They are currently managing 2 multi-operational period tasks - one for Michael Gazetas, and another on Cortes Island for a missing 21 year old male.
Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society

INCREASED FLOW ON THE CAMPBELL RIVER - BC Hyrdro is releasing water from the John Hart dam at an increased flow till Wednesday. Be extra cautious around the Campbell River with the increased flow.
Winter started off dry and went to a record setting wet January where the Upper Campbell Lake / Buttle Lake reservoir went up close to 5 meters since the end of December.
#crsar #discovercampbellriver #bcsara #SAR BC AdventureSmart British Columbia Search and Rescue Association

Timeline Photos Yesterday, Campbell River SAR was tasked to find a missing person in the Campbell River area. Our team responded to the call, and was able to help the RCMP on their search. The person was located safe. Thank you to all our volunteers who were able to help out!
British Columbia Search and Rescue Association BC AdventureSmart

Crews help evacuate residents in Cedar area due to flooding - Nanaimo News Bulletin Our neighbours to the south in Nanaimo were recently activated to assist with the flooding in their area. Good work Nanaimo SAR.
Do you know how to get notified of emergencies in Campbell River? Click the link to register to get notifications. https://srd.ca/services/emergency-management/
Evacuees being offered 48 hours’ accommodation, says Regional District of Nanaimo

Alerts for: East Vancouver Island - Environment Canada Be careful around rivers and creeks while we are experiencing intense rainfall. Rising water levels, eroding banks, flash floods and more can occur. https://weather.gc.ca/warnings/report_e.html?bc46
When severe weather threatens, Environment Canada issues alerts that notify those in affected areas in British Columbia so that they can take steps to protect themselves and their property from harm. The type of alert issued depends on the severity and timing of the event. Special statements: issued...

Avalanche Canada It's time to say goodbye... to our old app 🤳.
If you haven't downloaded the new app since we launched it last January, now is the time. From today, the old app will no longer be supported and will stop being functional.
If you've downloaded your app in the past year, you're sitting pretty- there's no need to do anything else.
Get the forecast 👉www.avalanche.ca
Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society

Fernie Search and Rescue Amazing job Fernie SAR!
Fernie SAR was activated today for a report of an injured skier. The skier, part of a group of 6 skiers based at Tunnel Creek Cabin, were involved in an avalanche triggered by a cornice in the 1942 Chute area. One skier fell an estimated 200 metres through challenging terrain, sustaining a chest injury.
The group was well-prepared and was able to summon help and begin evacuating the injured person, a 22 year-old male from the Fernie area.
Fernie SAR responded with 2 Fernie SAR Technicians on snowmobiles and via helicopter. The subject was brought out to BCAS on the Highway via snowmobile.
While this rescue would have been made quicker and simpler had we been able to use our longline rescue capability, it was a good reminder that wilderness rescue depends on the resources available on any particular day.
#bcsara
#searchandrescue
Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society

Comox Valley Record Newsroom Way to go Cowichan Search & Rescue!!!
The father and son were cold and tired when they were found, but otherwise OK.
Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society

Tree Well and Snow Immersion Suffocation (SIS) :: Tree Wells What do you do if you find yourself in a tree well? As the snow gets deeper tree wells become more of a hazard. http://deepsnowsafety.org/index.php/tree-wells?
A tree well is a void or depression that forms around the base of a tree can and contain a mix of low hanging branches, loose snow and air. Evergreen trees in particular (fir, hemlock, etc) can have large, deep tree wells that form when low hanging branches block snow from filling in and consolidati...

Some of our members participated in an Organized Avalanche Rescue Team Member course on Mt. Washington last Saturday. While one of our members waves as he drives by in the groomer! Hi Tim 👋

Timeline Photos Do you know where to get the latest information on avalanche activity on Vancouver Island? Click on the the link below to find out.
https://www.islandavalanchebulletin.com/

CBC News Way to go SAR teams in the interior!
"He was found in very good health, and happy to see our teams."
Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society

Timeline Photos Campbell River Search and Rescue is preparing for winter! Here we are practicing using our winch system.
British Columbia Search and Rescue Association
BC AdventureSmart

Donate to CR SAR

Campbell River Search and Rescue, like other SAR groups in BC relies upon donations and grants in order to maintain our equipment, train our volunteers and keep the lights on.

Faire un don maintenant par CanadaHelps.org!

Our Sponsors

Is this an emergency?

For emergencies call 9-1-1

If you are concerned about a friend or family member who is missing, overdue, or possibly injured, please call 911. We are only dispatched via the Police, Fire or Ambulance service. They will make the decision to call us. We would rather be called sooner than later; we don’t mind being turned back when the person shows up without incident! Our (Non-Emergency) Phone: 250-923-2500

Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society

Welcome to Campbell River Search and Rescue

Join our fantastic volunteers

Campbell River Search and Rescue

BC SAR Groups do not solicit funds by phone

It was another busy year for Campbell River Search & Rescue.

SRD Recognizes Volunteers Judy Hagen and Marg Carr for Ten Years of Regional Emergency Support Services

We are #CRSAR – Meet Eric Teramura

Connect with us online!

Donate to CR SAR

Is this an emergency?

For emergencies call 9-1-1

AdventureSmart Message - Trip Plans

AdventureSmart Message - Be River Smart

AdventureSmart Message - Strathcona Provincial Park