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...

Missing mushroom picker found “alive and well” after three-day search in Ucluelet - Tofino-Ucluelet Westerly... Some of our members were down in Tofino to help out with this successful search! Always a great feeling!
“It’s always great to have a positive outcome like this.”

Sit Stay Search Looking forward to watching this!
It's almost time! We still don't have an exact release date, but we do have this trailer to tide you over while you wait for the full version of Sit. Stay. Search.!
STORYHIVE #sitstaysearchdoc #watchlocal ...

Knowledge Network You've seen them on the news. Now follow North Shore Rescue in this eye-opening series as they find and rescue people from the rugged landscape of North Vancouver.
Search and Rescue: North Shore - series, premieres November 10:
www.knowledge.ca/sarns

Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society was live.

We are recruiting! CRSAR has many roles to fill, which are as diverse as the community we serve.
Curious? Want to learn more?
Check out our virtual info session this Thursday at 7:00pm.

Island Alpine Guides We had a fantastic weekend learning with @islandalpineguides!
Taking advantage of the season and the exposed glacial ice on another fantastic training trip with @campbellriversar. We are so proud to be part of the ongoing growth of this fine team’s ...

Timeline Photos With record setting weeks since the beginning of July it's time to try hiking closer to home and give #BCSAR volunteers a break. Think lower risk and the three Ts (trip plan, train, take essentials) when you head outdoors.
More ...

Campbell River RCMP Follow up on our search yesterday night. Thank you to the RCMP and all our volunteer members!
Not deceased on the ERT
Stuck in a swamp
Drugs are not your friend
Mountie of the Month

Campbell River RCMP Late night swamp rescue underway for man lost in swamp off of .16th ave. Big thank you in advance to all the SAR volunteers on their way ...sorry to those in the area for the noise
Update: male rescued at ...

www.facebook.com Do you love the outdoors as much as we do? Would you like to improve your survival skills while helping others?
Join us virtually on Sept 17th at 19:00
http://ow.ly/tgfJ50B6500

Timeline Photos TGIF!
Consider your decisions.
Consider your abilities.
Consider your safety.
Consider our BC SAR volunteers.
http://ow.ly/dH7E50B64JQ

Campbell River Search and Rescue off to busy start this summer - Campbell River Mirror It's been a busy year for us at CRSAR. Please be mindful when you head outdoors and head on over to www.adventuresmart.ca for more helpful tips and tricks on how to play safely in the great outdoors!
July and August ...

Photos from Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society's post Adapting our first aid kits and practices to include COVID protocols. #staysafe

Photos from Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society's post CRSAR Members donning our fancy new face masks courtesy of Christine Nesbitt and her sewing talents! Thank you Christine!

British Columbia Search and Rescue Association The BC Search and Rescue Association is excited that today the Government of British Columbia announced stable, long term funding for our 79 search and rescue groups in addition to the operational funding already in place.
https://archive.news.gov.bc.ca/releases/news_releases_2017-2021/2020PSSG0038-001334.htm

BC Hydro to increase water flow down Elk Falls Canyon by eight times - Campbell... Increase in water flow to begin July 26

Photos from Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society's post Wild animal encounters can be brief and uneventful, but when they are not, at best, they are a scary memory you will never forget. Our subject was knowledgeable, prepared, skilled and made great decisions, which included calling us for help, and ultimately resulted in a happy ending.👍🏼😁
Next time you are planning a hiking trip consider...
🐻 What time of year it is, what are wild animals doing
🐻 How wildlife engage in different landscapes and what their food sources are
🐻 Deterrents to carry with you such as bear bangers/flares and bear spray
🐻Prevention of food reward for wild animals and how to set up your own food caches
🐻 Wild animals can be curious, moody, and above all are unpredictable. Don’t let urban forest bears fool you!
🐻How one hiker manages their food on the trail will effect the next
🐻 Call the RAPP line to report ANY human/wildlife conflict or any concerning wildlife behaviours. 1 877 952 7277
#adventuresmart
#tripplanning
#bearsafety
#cougarsafety
https://www.adventuresmart.ca/tripplanning/bearsafety.htm

Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society was live.

BC AdventureSmart Important considerations for hiking in smoky conditions 🌫🥾
Still considering a hike in this smoke ?
Reducing exposure to wildfire smoke is the best way to protect your health.
The harder you breath (hiking = heavy breathing), the more 💨 you inhale.
Take it easy for now, the trails will be there when the smoke clears.
Postponing your hike right now directly helps our 2500 BC search & rescue volunteers at the British Columbia Search and Rescue Association..
https://bit.ly/33s6ZZj

We are recruiting! CRSAR has many roles to fill, which are as diverse as the community we serve.
Curious? Want to learn more?
Check out our virtual info session this Thursday at 7:00pm.

BC AdventureSmart An important reminder about bears and other wildlife!
Trip Plan Tuesday.
🐾
Bear sightings & some encounters have been prevalent this summer.
🐾
Our friends WildSafeBC recommend;
.
Surprising a bear or encountering a food-conditioned bear should be avoided. Here are some #tripplantuesday tips to reduce the chances of this happening:
🐻 Watch for bear signs like scat, tracks, freshly overturned logs, fresh claw marks on trees
🐻Talk or sing to avoid surprising a bear. Be cautious around running water, thick brush or high wind that may mask your presence. Bear bells are not recommended as the high-pitched tinkle does not travel as far and is not recognized as a human.
🐻Be aware of your surroundings and do not use headphones when hiking, biking or running in bear country.
🐻Manage your attractants and never put someone else at risk by leaving organics behind. Pack out what you pack in. Tossing organics (apple cores and banana peels) can attract wildlife to a roadside which may result in a vehicle collision.
🐻Avoid hiking alone. Travelling with another person results in more noise and may also help dissuade a bear from approaching.
🐻 Keep pets leashed or under control when in bear country. In a review of black bear attacks, dogs were involved in over 50% of black bear inflicted injuries on humans*. Dogs may be perceived as a potential threat or prey.
🐻 Use extra caution in bear habitat and where sightlines are poor. This includes berry bushes with ripe fruit, salmon-bearing streams and other areas bears are known to frequent.
🐻 If you find a carcass leave the area immediately and notify the Conservation Officer Service and/or landowner.
🐻 Take training such as a Wildlife Awareness and Safety Course offered by WildSafeBC that shows the “Staying Safe in Bear Country” video. A summary of the video content is available @wildsafebc
🐻Carry bear spray and be able to access it quickly. Do not carry it in your pack or attached to your bike.
🐻Learn more. If heading to a Provincial or Federal park, check their websites for wildlife alerts or safety considerations. When travelling, check in with locals and visitor centres to find out about local wildlife activity.
📸 Erik Thomson
https://wildsafebc.com/species/black-bear/

Photos from Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society's post Our mountain rescue team has been particular busy the past 5 months between training and 12 call outs! No doubt the mountains of Vancouver Island are seeing a lot more traffic this year. Most recently #CRSAR was called out to Victoria Peak to assist a subject who had a taken a small tumble and suffered a lower body injury. The rescue of this subject was made easy as they had satellite communication which made them easy to find and the subject, with the help of fellow hikers/climbers, was able to get to an open clearing making it easy for the helicopter to land near by. They made the right decision in calling for help when it was needed.
Remember the 3 "T's" when travelling in the mountains
- Trip plan
- Training
- Take the essentials
#crsar #bcsara #strathconapark #vancouverisland

Timeline Photos We wouldn't be the organization we are today with out the amazing support we receive from the community. A huge shout out goes to @izcotech who donated a firewall/router. There's a lot of technology that goes into a SAR call out and upgrades such as a firewall/router go along ways in making for smooth operations.
#CRSAR #communitysupport #discovercampbellriver #bcsara

Alberni Valley Rescue Squad Weather changes happen quickly, especially in transitions between seasons! One of our members caught the difference an hour and a half can make in the mountains this weekend in @strathconapark . It’s easy to become disoriented when visibility is poor due to weather or earlier sunsets, temperatures can change rapidly as well. We encourage you to consider how you will be prepared if you encounter these changes: plan your trip well, train for your activity, and take the essentials (including and especially in a situation like this, reliable navigation equipment!) #bcadventuresmart #bcsara #avrs #albernivalleyrescuesquad #hikebc

British Columbia Search and Rescue Association Thank you BC! After a steady increase in incidents over the summer we are happy to see numbers go down this past week. While it was still busy, this decrease gave #BCSAR volunteers the break they needed to be able to more readily help with a number of fire evacuation alerts and orders last week. Continue doing your part to help reduce the number of #searchandrescue incidents in BC and give these unpaid professionals the break they deserve.
Full weekly incident report 👉 http://ow.ly/ExLI50B92Yc
📸: Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue

Arrowsmith Search And Rescue 𝗥𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 - On our last Rope Team Training session we ran a full mutual aid training scenario. Thanks goes to Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society and Comox Valley Search & Rescue for coming out to train with us! The training drill was set up to be a real time full rescue scenario on Little Mountain.
Teams worked together to get three members, first aid equipment and a stretcher over the edge. The team that was sent over administered first aid and completed patient packaging. Once ready the Rope Team safely hauled everyone and the gear back up to transport.
#𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗿 #𝗯𝗰𝘀𝗮𝗿𝗮 #𝗰𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗿 #𝗰𝘃𝗴𝘀𝗮𝗿 #𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 #𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺

www.facebook.com Do you love the outdoors as much as we do? Would you like to improve your survival skills while helping others?
Join us virtually on Sept 17th at 19:00
http://ow.ly/tgfJ50B6500

BC AdventureSmart Our SAR ⛑ volunteers are too busy.
Our province is an active one + with this summers unique equation of the pandemic, phase 3 (provincial travel), encouragement to recreate outdoors, people trying new outdoor activities, all in addition to the easy access to awesome terrain . . . its resulting in a higher than normal increase in search & rescue incidents.
Heading outdoors soon?
1) Make a plan.
(research, know before you go)
2) Leave a plan.
(use our trip plan app)
Full search & rescue incident summary linked here;
https://bit.ly/2FMgAlB

Timeline Photos TGIF!
Consider your decisions.
Consider your abilities.
Consider your safety.
Consider our BC SAR volunteers.
http://ow.ly/dH7E50B64JQ

49 North Helicopters Our members spent time today practicing getting in and out of a hovering helicopter. We have put these skills to use a number of this this summer to help people in the mountains of the North Island where there isn't always a convenient place to land.
Training session today with our friends at Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society. Getting ready for the next mission ⛑

🚁🏔Today's call brought CRSAR members to a beautiful location within Strathcona Park, in complex terrain, including some unforeseen hazards for our subjects.
⛏🥾The subjects were experienced in mountaineering and prepared for their multi-day trek. They executed wise judgement when deciding to call for help rather than letting ego push them forward when they didn't feel safe anymore.
📡🏕Having a reliable communication device, and lots of food and resources to hold them until we could extract them, were important elements for this happy ending. 😁
✅BC AdventureSmart
✅#10Essentials
✅#tripplanning

Photos from Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society's post Adapting our first aid kits and practices to include COVID protocols. #staysafe

Photos from Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society's post CRSAR Members donning our fancy new face masks courtesy of Christine Nesbitt and her sewing talents! Thank you Christine!

Photos from Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society's post At 10:30 July 19th, Campbell River Search and Rescue was requested by the RCMP to assist with a hiker whose dog had become injured and unable to proceed. Thankfully the hiker had an Inreach satellite communications device and was able to request help and provide her position, which greatly improved our ability to respond quickly. She was located about 6 kilometres in on the Flower Ridge trail in Strathcona Park at an elevation of about 1,250m
Thanks to the generous donation of helicopter time by Grizzly Helicopters two Campbell River SAR members were able to fly in, locate the hiker and her dog, and bring them back out to their vehicle.
This area of Strathcona Park is beautiful, but rugged, and the options for communications are limited, so it is great to see hikers heading out well prepared with satellite communications in case they are in need of help.
#crsar #bcsara #sar

BC AdventureSmart 50% ⬆️ in BC SAR incidents during the first two weeks of July.
We encourage everyone to play safely, BE AdventureSmart and to take a ‘considerate approach’ when recreating.
These considerations help your local SAR volunteers by not straining the volunteer rescue resources.
It’s all about decision making.
Always consider;
🤔 skills & abilities
🤔 energy & mood
🤔 daylight remaining
🤔 staying within your limits
🤔 knowledge of trail system
🤔 supporting adventure friends
🤔 conservative decision making
These two SAR groups are much busier than usual right now.
Help them help you; follow the considerations listed above, plan your outing thoroughly, file a trip plan on our App and be prepared for your chosen activities.
⛑ See requests from Squamish SAR Manager BJ Chute and North Shore Rescue SAR Member John Blown with SAR group pictures.
https://www.adventuresmart.ca/land/survive-tips.htm

BC Hydro to increase water flow down Elk Falls Canyon by eight times - Campbell... Increase in water flow to begin July 26

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