Photo: PENSAR

Members of the Penticton and District Search and Rescue team have been busy over the past few days, tasked out to help injured persons and stuck vehicles.

Crews were first dispatched out on Saturday afternoon, to assist with two uninjured stranded snowmobilers in the Olalla area.

PenSAR said they worked alongside the Oliver Osoyoos Search and Rescue team, who had their sled team on standby.

"Five PenSAR members were able to locate the subjects, warm them up, and bring them to safety," they shared.

"The early call for help by the subjects allowed for rescue to take place in daylight with more resources available if needed."

Then PenSAR was tasked out again not long after, around 1 a.m. on Sunday to assist a stranded motorist on the 201.

"With the help of Penticton RCMP and PenSAR on the way up, the motorist was brought to safety around 2 a.m."

PenSAR added that it is very important to always have the "necessary equipment to recover your vehicle, to be prepared for the conditions outside, and to safely pick the time of day you are traveling the backroads and backcountry."

At this time, the 201 above Penticton, long with many other alternate routes and Forest Service Roads in the area are not maintained nor plowed.

The rescue team continued work on Sunday with their third and fourth call within 24 hours.

PenSAR said they were tasked out around 5 p.m. to assist an injured hiker in the Princeton area.

The rope team, along with ground search crews joined the Princeton SAR and the road recovery team, who navigated their way up a steep scree slope to assist a hiker with a knee injury.

"After stabilizing, warming and packaging the subject, the team began the three hour technical descent to the waiting ambulance," PenSAR said.

"As the subject was handed off to BCEHS, another call came in for a stranded motorist on the 201."

Three PenSAR members were sent to assist the Penticton RCMP with that call.

Most recently PenSAR was tasked out on Tuesday around 4 p.m. to assist the Naramata Volunteer Fire Department with an injured dirt biker in the area.

"Due to the subject's location and nature of the injuries, PenSAR made the decision to deploy the CDFL Heli Team," they said.

"The subject was long lined to awaiting BCEHS close by."

PenSAR reminds those out in the backcountry to always be prepared for any conditions and be ready for the worst.

Hikers to refer to @bcadvsmart for trip planning, equipment essentials, and free outdoor adventure training.

PenSAR provides services, free of charge, 24/7 and urges people to not wait for the situation to become dire before calling for help.

Photo: PENSAR