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...

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

'Dangerous terrain:' Search for experienced hiker who went missing near Gold River continues Search and rescue crews are still looking for a man who went missing in the mountains near Gold River. Laurence Philippsen, 64, set out on a hiking expedition through a mountain range that included Mount Filberg, Mount Cobb, Mount Haig-Brown, ...

Search continues for Vancouver Island hiker A largescale search is still underway on Vancouver Island for an experienced hiker who has been missing for one week.

Photos from Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society's post Over the past three days, Campbell River SAR has been involved in an extensive search for an overdue hiker in a vast area of mountainous terrain near Gold River.
We are grateful for the significant mutual aid from various mountain ...

Timeline Photos It is imperative to stay safe when playing on or near water. Be prepared, wear a lifejacket or PFD (personal flotation device), don’t drink alcohol, and make sure you are familiar with your chosen activity. BC AdventureSmart is a great ...

2 hikers rescued by helicopter from north end of Vancouver Island Two people had to be rescued by helicopter from a remote area of northern Vancouver Island in separate incidents Thursday evening.

CTV Vancouver Island Rescuers were called to the area to assist a man who had sustained head and spinal injuries after falling in a canyon.
He was out on a hike with his son on Father's Day when the accident occurred.

Strathcona Regional District Are you signed up for the Strathcona Regional District’s emergency notification system? Get on it!
“Connect Rocket is the emergency mass notification system used by the Strathcona Regional District. Voice and text messages are sent to mobile devices within a ...

Photos from Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society's post Swift water training out on the oyster river for our members last night. Heading into summer months always means increased recreation on our many rivers.#playsafe BC AdventureSmart British Columbia Search and Rescue Association

BC AdventureSmart Cue to 27:50 to hear our Exec Director (Sandra) talk on the CBC Vancouver BC Today show about enjoying the outdoors safely during Covid times, reducing SAR incidents and how we can all gently recreate locally.
#bcadventuresmart
https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-4-bc-today/clip/15776579-covid-19-icbc-update.-enjoying-the-local-outdoors-safely.

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

Comox Valley Search & Rescue The extensive search for Laurence Philippsen was reactivated this past weekend to follow up on further information received regarding his possible route of travel between his start point and his intended camp on night one of his planned three day hike. Forty-five friends and hiking colleagues from the Island mountain community conducted a well organized search of a predetermined ridge and drainage area on Saturday. Forty-two searchers from Campbell River Search and Rescue , Comox Valley Search and Rescue and Nanaimo Search and Rescue including five K9 teams, both RCMP and SAR were inserted by helicopter and conducted extensive grid searches through difficult wooded and technical terrain beginning early Sunday morning.
The Google Earth imagery shows the cumulative GPS tracks of ground and air search operations by all searchers over the five operational search periods. Despite the new information and the combined thousands of person-hours of search effort over five long operational periods, no clues were produced to lead us to Laurence's whereabouts amidst this rugged and remote area of Vancouver Island.
Searchers were deeply touched by Laurence's family who were on scene to provide food and express their gratitude as searchers exited the search area. The active search for Laurence has been suspended but remains an open missing person's investigation with the RCMP.
Well-prepared hikers who plan to hike in this area of Strathcona Park are encouraged to continue to keep vigilant for any sign of Laurence and to report any clues to the Royal Canadain Mounted Police.
Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society
Nanaimo Search and Rescue

Search continues for Vancouver Island hiker A largescale search is still underway on Vancouver Island for an experienced hiker who has been missing for one week.

British Columbia Search and Rescue Association Last week >600 #BCSAR volunteers responded to ~60 calls for service. You can help these unpaid professionals in reducing the number and severity of calls by following the three Ts — trip plan, train and take essentials — as well as sticking to areas you know closer to home.
Full weekly incident summary 👉 http://ow.ly/ljVB50AoivX
More on the three Ts 👉http://ow.ly/7eXK50AoivV
📸: Unsplash

2 hikers rescued by helicopter from north end of Vancouver Island Two people had to be rescued by helicopter from a remote area of northern Vancouver Island in separate incidents Thursday evening.

BC AdventureSmart Check out your identification skills with this quiz:
For this weeks: Solve it Saturday’s⁉️
We are discussing animal awareness.
🐾 Look at both pictures to see the reactions of dealing with encounters with these 4 animals and see if you can match the proper reactions with the right animal.
👇🏼 Add your answer below!
🐻 For the most part, animal encounters can and should be avoided. A lot of times when an animal attacks in the wild, it is because it has been startled or feels threatened for itself, or it’s young.
To avoid these situations, make sure to:
🗣 Make noise as you travel through the wilderness by either calling out every few minutes, or giving one blow on your whistle to let animals know you’re in the area.
👀 Keep a close eye around you and watch for signs that there are animals in the area. Watch for: tracks, droppings, scratches on trees, fresh carcasses from a kill, or fur on trees to name a few.
👩🏽‍🤝‍👩🏻 Travel in pairs or groups, animals are less likely to approach multiple people.
🏕 Keep a clean camp and always follow Leave No Trace policies when outdoors.
🌲 Remember, when we’re out in the wilderness we are guests in their home, not the other way around. So leave areas cleaner then you found them, show respect, and admire wildlife from a distance.

Oliver/Osoyoos Search and Rescue On June 30th and July 1st our dog handler hosted 6 other BC Search Dog Association teams for some training. We welcomed North Shore Rescue, Kaslo Search and Rescue, Rossland Search and Rescue,Campbell River Search and Rescue, Nelson Search and Rescue, and Central Okanagan Search and Rescue. It was a great 2 days of training the dogs and sharing of knowledge.
Rossland Search and Rescue Nelson Search and Rescue Kaslo Search and Rescue North Shore Rescue Central Okanagan Search & Rescue Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society British Columbia Search Dog Association

Nanaimo Search and Rescue Great to see all the different rescue resources work together to get an injured subject out of trouble in Nanaimo yesterday. Way to go everyone involved!
NSAR assisted Extension Volunteer Fire Department yesterday afternoon with the rescue of a hiker who had fallen near Nanaimo River. A truly multi-agency rescue with the cooperation of Extension FD, BC Ambulance, the Hoist Team from Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society and Comox Valley Ground Search & Rescue, as well as support from Ascent Helicopters Ltd. Well done to everyone, and wishes for a speedy recovery to our injured subject. ⁣
⁣
#NSAR #BCSAR #extensionfire #mutualaid #bettertogether

Photos from Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society's post It is with great sadness we mourn the loss of one of our past members, Norm Babin.
Norm was a long serving member of Campbell River Search & Rescue dedicating 20 years of his life volunteering to be there for others. As a reliable, go-to guy who helped out on any type of call or job, Norm was especially valued as member of the rope team, swift water team along many other skills that brought great advantage to the group. Well known for his quiet, kind and thoughtful manner, Norm never complained, just did any task that was put before him with quiet excellence. We could always count on his wisdom and patience, taking on anything and always giving back that classic Norm smile.
Norm had a passion for all things outdoors including sailing, hiking and biking. Often he could be heard saying " I got bored last weekend so i rode my bike to Edmonton," that was our Norm.
Several years ago Norm left our group due to health issues, leaving a large void at CRSAR. On May 31, 2020 Norm passed away. Without doubt he is out there, forever sailing and wandering the land he loved.
Norm you were a gentle kind man who will be deeply missed by your SAR brothers and sisters, rest well our friend.

Comox Valley Search & Rescue Well done to all members of Comox Valley Ground Search & Rescue and Campbell River Search & Rescue Society involved in today’s call out. Mutual aid is one way we are activated to respond to a task. Teams helping other teams broadens the capacity and skill sets required to get subjects home safe and sound. #teamwork #mutalaid
CVGSAR was activated just after 1:00 pm this afternoon to come to the assistance of a female hiker/photographer near the falls at Rosewall Creek. The woman had fallen and fractured her ankle. The British Columbia Ambulance Service requested the support of CVGSAR to conduct the medical evacuation of this injured patient. 15 members of CVGSAR responded and hiked in to locate, assess and stabilize the woman's fractured ankle utilizing a vacuum splint. Due to the location, time and risk involved in carrying the woman out by stretcher, CVGSAR requested support from the Regional Helicopter Hoist rescue team. 3 members of Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society, supported by Ascent Helicopters of Parksville conducted the hoist operation and transported the woman to the Courtenay Air Park where she was transferred into the capable hands of the BC Ambulance Paramedics and then on the the North Island Hospital at Courtenay.

We upgraded our trailer today! This trailer will accommodate the beautiful ATV’s donated to us last year, by the late Scotty MacLaren.
These ATV’s accommodate a team of 2, which maintains member safety, and allows us to cover more search area than our previous, one rider ATV’s.
Much gratitude to the efforts of Scotty and his team for enhancing our ability to serve our community!

Victoria hikers rescued by helicopter from Strathcona park Well done Comox Valley Ground Search & Rescue and Krista Houston with Grizzly Helicopters Ltd. in Campbell River! Glad everyone is safe and sound.
A reminder to all, although we are starting to feel summer like conditions here, expect winter conditions in the mountains of Strathcona Park.
Two women and a dog are safe after they were airlifted out of Strathcona Provincial Park by search and rescue volunteers early Thursday morning.

CTV Vancouver Island If you are planning to travel in the alpine on Vancouver Island be prepared for snow. We recommended you carry crampons and ice axes in the alpine. As well, be prepared for changing conditions in the weather as you can see from this video it was snowing at the top of Mount Arrowsmith this weekend.
For more information on how to travel safely in the alpine click the link.
https://www.adventuresmart.ca/land/climbing.htm
A Nanaimo man was airlifted to hospital Saturday after suffering significant injuries while mountain climbing.

Comox Valley Search & Rescue In the fading hours of Saturday evening, members of three Island Search and Rescue teams worked in tight coordination to effect the rescue of a badly injured climber from just below the summit of Mt. Arrowsmith. The climber had sustained significant injuries after a fall on the Summit earlier in the afternoon. Due to poor weather on the mountain, Alberni Valley Rescue Squad members immediately began to up-climb the "Judge's Route" to locate and assess the injured man. As weather allowed another team was inserted by helicopter onto the summit. Conditions at the time included gusty winds and heavy wet snow. It was quickly determined that additional resources were required to effect the injured man's rescue from the mountain and to get him transferred to a higher level of medical care. Once activated, members of Campbell River Volunteer Search and Rescue Society and Comox Valley Search and Rescue regional helicopter hoist team, flown by Ascent Helicopters, were hovering overhead within an hour. The Port Alberni team already had the climber packaged, and with that, the man was quickly raised to the helicopter and flown to Parksville where he was transferred to a British Columbia, Ambulance Advanced Life Support helicopter for transport to Vancouver.
Even though it's June, you can still encounter winter conditions in the mountains, so a reminder to ensure you are prepared for all weather conditions before heading out.

BC AdventureSmart 〽️ PUBLIC SAFETY LONG WEEKEND 〽️
*Reduce search and rescue incidents*
The May long weekend is the (unofficial) ‘kick off to summer’ for BC and we know you’re ready for it!
As we transition to the next phase of our new normal, lets find a new normal outdoors;
- Make a difference; "know before you go"
- Be prepared for emergencies.
- Make smart (AdventureSmart) choices.
Exploring BC locally offers everyone easy access to trails and parks, that easy access often gives outdoor enthusiasts a false sense of security. Don’t be fooled, easy access doesn’t always mean easy terrain, easy routes or easy adventures.
Your trip safety can mean the difference between a successful outcome and becoming a statistic.
File a trip plan before your local adventures this weekend.
https://www.adventuresmart.ca/tripplanning/tripplan.htm
#bcadventuresmart #explorebclocal #reduceincidents
Media release:
https://www.bcsara.com/2020/05/victoria-day-long-weekend/

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