Photo: COSAR

COSAR members were on a weekend snowmobile training exercise in the Greystokes area near Kelowna. On the second day of training, one of the team had an accident, resulting in serious injuries.

Luckily, Central Okanagan Search and Rescue consists of approximately 50 highly trained professional volunteers.  

Members evaluated the subject’s injuries and started first aid, while others packaged the subject to prevent hypothermia while waiting for extraction. A few more members slowed approaching snowmobiles or relayed information to base.

The injuries were considered serious enough to call in a helicopter.

The COSAR team was in an area where there was no cell service, so the team activated their inReach SOS device. It didn't take long to connect with GEOS, the monitoring center that handles inReach emergencies, and details of the situation were passed on to Emergency Management BC who activated a response by emergency personnel, including COSAR members not on the training exercise and one of our other regional SAR teams, Penticton Search and Rescue.

"Whenever we go into the field we always thoroughly evaluate the situation and put together a plan that minimizes the level of risk as much as possible," COSAR posted to Facebook. "Unfortunately, when in the backcountry, accidents can occur no matter how well you plan and prepare."

COSAR says they, just like anyone who goes into the backcountry, put together a detailed training
plan covering location, activities, and a list of members involved.

Those plans were then sent to the SAR managers that were not involved in the training. This detailed trip plan was created to help responding COSAR SAR managers plan a suitable response if a situation were to occur.

Five hours after the accident occurred, the subject was transported to hospital. Five hours is not that long for a backcountry rescue but, on top of possible trauma injuries, subjects also face the very realistic possibility of hypothermia. If not dealt with quickly it can become a serious problem in a short period of time, potentially eclipsing the initial injuries. When you play in the backcountry you need to be prepared to be self-sufficient for prolonged periods of time if things go wrong and a rescue is needed.

Whenever you head into the backcountry it’s important that you follow AdventureSmart’s Three Ts:

1. Have a solid Trip Plan;
2. Make sure you have the right Training and;
3. Take the essentials.

No matter how much training or experience you have, a bit of bad luck is always a possibility and you can suddenly find yourself in a serious situation.