Grand Forks Search and Rescue members had a busy weekend east of the Paulson, assisting local search and rescue teams on two backcountry rescues.
According to GFSAR president Grant Burnard, the group was first called out around 8 p.m. on Saturday for a rescue of two overdue cross-country skiers east of the Paulson in the Bonanza area. The rescue was led by the South Columbia Search and Rescue from Trail but was attended by Castlegar, Grand Forks and Nelson SAR groups. South Columbia began their search at 6 p.m.
Six Grand Forks SAR members attended that rescue on Saturday night. Burnard said the group of cross-country skiers and sleds made repeated efforts to reach the pair but around 3:30 a.m. stopped for the night due to the darkness and high avalanche risk.
The team returned for the second search period around 6 a.m. Sunday morning. The skiers were rescued with a helicopter from Vernon Search and Rescue around noon and brought back to the parking area, Burnard said.
Burnard said the skiers, while not equipped for an overnight stay, were carrying a Spot beacon that made all the difference in their rescue. Pressing the SOS button on the beacon sent out GPS coordinates to the Spot manufacturer (located in Texas), who transfers that information to local first responders. The device works without a cellphone signal, which makes it valuable for search and rescue operations Burnard said.
The pair of skiers were local to the Boundary area. One of them was Ken Soroka, a Grand Forks resident. He said through the combination of carrying his Spot device, having a companion and a fire, it was a better night than it might have been.
“No one wants to be stranded in the mountains in the winter for the night, but considering that, it was a good night,” Soroka said. “We busied ourselves with a fire, managed to get it started and keep it going. Having a companion and having a fire, and having a Spot device, we were in good shape. We were cold but we did not freeze.”
Soroka said he regularly goes skiing in the backcountry, and always takes his Spot beacon — something he was very thankful for in this case. The cooperation of the Spot team, local ambulance, search and rescue and RCMP was phenomenal, he added.
Soroka said he had the utmost gratitude for the search and rescue teams who came out.
“I am so grateful, so amazed at what they do,” he said. “I don’t know how many dozens of people gave up a night’s sleep for us. They are so skilled … It is incredible.”
While this rescue was in process, Burnard said Castlegar Search and Rescue were called out for the rescue of two out-of-bounds snowboarders near Red Mountain late Saturday night. One Grand Forks SAR member attended that call when the search began around 8 a.m. Sunday morning.
Teams were able to reach the snowboarders and moved them to a spot where they could be airlifted out via helicopter, the same helicopter used in the rescue of the skiers.
“Well over 50 members, multiple snow machines and two helicopters, we pulled off two search and rescue calls simultaneously. The integration of our teams near and far was amazing and incredibly professional,” reads a note posted to the South Columbia SAR Facebook page.
All four rescuees were in good shape when they were located, Burnard said, and were treated by BC Ambulance and released. Hypothermia was not “medium or severe” in nature, he added.
Staying safe outdoors
When in the backcountry this winter, Burnard said there are precautions people can take before heading outside.
• Always be prepared for 24 hours or more outdoors in case of emergency — that means additional clothing, hats and gloves and spare socks as well as food and water.
• All backcountry enthusiasts should carry avalanche gear: a beacon, shovel and probe.
• Spot beacons are a good idea for people who are in the backcountry regularly, and if you’ll be in cell phone range, make sure batteries are charged and fresh.
• Make sure family, friends or ski patrols (or all three) know where you will be and when you are expected back. The more detailed the plan you leave, the better. Your plan might also include a plan B — where you’ll be if conditions were not ideal and you wanted to go elsewhere.
Burnard said it is common for Grand Forks SAR to go out on mutual aid calls, especially when call volume is high — in 12 hours over the weekend, Burnard said 13 different search and rescue operations were active in Southeast BC alone. Grand Forks commonly assists Castlegar and Rossland SAR on operations in the area.