Kimberley Search and Rescue has seen their busiest year on record, with much of the year left to go.
“We had an exceptionally busy year so far. As of June, we surpassed our annual call volume, which is very unusual for us,” said Search Manager Peter Reid.
Reid said cyclists and water rescues have been the most common through the spring and summer.
“There have been a lot more rescue-related calls. Mountain bikers mostly happening as the sport becomes more popular. We’ve also seen an increase in water-relate calls,” said Reid.
“It has driven up our need for our swift water team as well as our jet boats.”
Reid said the reason behind the increased call volume is unknown, but it might be due to increased tourist traffic.
“People are starting to see the beauty of the East Kootenay,” said Reid.
“We have our regular people coming in from Alberta who may have a vacation home in Kimberley or people who come here for whatever other reason to enjoy the beautiful place we have.”
You can help keep Search and Rescue crews from getting even busier by taking steps to make sure you stay safe outdoors.
“We encourage people to share a trip plan with their loved ones, which should include where you’re going and when you should be coming back,” said Reid.
“You should also take the essentials with you, even if you’re going out for a day. In this part of the world, it’s easy to get caught out after dark or run into something unexpected, so just be prepared.”
If you find yourself in need of rescue at this time of year, Reid said you may be in for a little bit of a longer wait.
“We are finding that our availability of helicopters is limited because of the wildfires,” said Reid.
“Our ability to respond quickly via helicopter is being hampered. We need to wait or find a machine, so people need to expect a longer wait for a helicopter rescue than they would in a normal year.”
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