Sunday was a Full Day for Local Search and Rescue Groups.

Search and Rescue Exercise in Welcome Pass

A joint training exercise took place on Sunday, June 15, involving the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary Pacific Unit 12 Halfmoon Bay(CCGA 12) and Sunshine Coast Ground Search and Rescue (GSAR).  The day had been organized to fine tune a number of objectives: communications, search, multi-agency coordination, rescue, and teamwork.

The scenario involved two people, traveling in a rowboat, getting lost and injured overnight. They were able to send out a distress call by cell phone and the call was routed to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) which tasked CCGA 12 to locate the couple.

Unit 12 departed their base in Secret Cove and immediately started searching the beaches between Cooper's Green and Smuggler Cove, the couple's planned track the night before. Their rowboat was spotted on the beach near Jeddah Point and the individuals were soon found, one in good (but cold) condition at the water's edge, the other, obviously injured, on a narrow ledge about 10 meters above the ocean.  Voice communication was established with both parties and the decision was made to call for GSAR to remove the injured party from the cliff.

Members of a ground search team arrived on the scene using the navigational fix provided by CCGA 12 and the rescue boat was able to re-task to the Halfmoon Bay wharf to pick up GSAR personnel.  The boat then returned to the rescue scene where the GSAR team dispensed First Aid then rigged a rappel system to move the injured party down the cliff and into the rescue craft. The other individual on the beach was taken aboard and both parties were transported to the Secret Cove Government Dock where EMS (virtual) was waiting.

Operations and CCGA 12 control was under Training Officer Kellei Baker while GSAR control was Richard Till.

The exercise was deemed a success in terms of the objectives.

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CCGA 12