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February 24, 2014 - 6:19 PM
KAMLOOPS - Kamloops Search and Rescue helped an injured snowmobiler find safety over the weekend, despite a few problems along the way.
Alan Hobler, search manager, said they first received a call at about 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 23, after a man in his 60s hit a stump while snowmobiling with two others at Loon Lake, near Clinton.
The man suffered a number of non-life threatening injuries. Due to their high elevation he could not be brought down to safety. The group called for help, but did not know their exact location, making it difficult for search and rescue to find them in the unfamiliar area.
Hobler said normally they would have the assistance of air ambulance, however it was on another higher priority call at the time. It took several hours to locate the group. Eventually the air ambulance was able to make it to the scene and the rescue team was able to get the man to safety.
Hobler said that snowmobilers can do a number of things ahead of time to ensure help can easily find them, if things go wrong.
A trip planner can be found at adventuresmart.ca, Hobler said, recommending snowmobilers map out the routes they plan to take and leave it with someone at home. This will give search and rescue workers a better idea of where to look.
Hobler also suggests that outdoor enthusiasts bring along a form of communication. The weekend snowmobilers had brought along cell phones which allowed them to call for help, he said, but they did not have a GPS. If they did, they would have been better able to tell rescue exactly where they were, and cut hours out of their search.
In many cases, the time spent looking for an injured person could mean the difference between life and death.
To contact the reporter for this story, email jstahn@infotelnews.ca or call (250) 819-3723.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014