Vernon Search and Rescue urges caution in the back country due to avalanche concerns, frozen bodies of water

Photo: VSAR

For anyone heading to the back country, be careful out there.

Coralie Nairn, with Vernon Search and Rescue, said people heading into the back country should also take precautions before heading out.

"Although Avalanche Canada regional avalanche ratings are not extreme at this time, we still must plan for mild to extreme risk for our searchers depending on the local situation. vWe always advocate for avalanche training,” said Nairn, adding people should also carry safety gear like shovels, probes, proper clothing and a GPS locater beacon.

It is also important people recognize the terrain they are in, and the dangers that terrain can present.

“Up in the mountains it's been snowing. We had rain down here, but in the mountain we had snow, warmer temperatures, cooler temperatures, more snow, warmer temperatures, cooler temperatures, more snow and that equates to very unstable snowpack,” Nairn said.

“And now with our deep freeze, we are going to have a really nice crust that is not necessarily stable. Conservative choices, are life-saving choices.”

It is recommended people take an avalanche safety course, or at the very least, get information from the Avalanche Canada website.

Another area for caution is venturing onto a 'frozen' lake.

Although it has been cold the past few days, Nairn warns there may not be sufficient ice depth to venture onto and people should always check for themselves to ensure the ice is thick enough to be safe.

Ice should be at least four to six inches thick before venturing out and she reminds people the closer they get to open water, the thinner the ice will be.

“Typically, closer to the shore is thicker ice,” said Nairn, adding VSAR even encourages people to wear a personal floatation device if skating on a lake.

“If they should break through and fall into the lake, self rescue is really important.”

Wearing winter clothes and skates would make swimming extremely difficult.

Hypothermia can set in quickly in water as well, putting life in danger.

Nairn said VSAR has learned of several close calls this year where people managed to self rescue and get themselves out of the water.

“With the water movement, it's not a consistent depth and thickness. You could be on what you think is a good six inches, but 20 feet away it could be two inches,” she warned.

“The colour of the ice is critically important. If it's frosty, has any slush on it, frozen slush or standing water on the ice, you want to avoid those at all costs.”