Education and outreach may be paying off for Coquitlam Search and Rescue.
The number of tasks conducted by the team fell 31.5% to 37 this year, a drop search manager Michael Coyle said could be due to an increase in public awareness. The figure works out to 1,944 person hours in the field in 2018 compared to 2,300 hours the year before.
"It's hard to tell why one year will have more calls than another," he said. "But I do know we undertook some trail marking and public education projects this year that targeted our trouble areas on Eagle Ridge and these might have had an impact."
He also noted that the high profile search for Anette Poitras and her three dogs in 2017 may have helped educate the public of the dangers of not being prepared in the back country.
The 56-year-old Poitras was walking Roxy, Chloe, and Bubba on Eagle Mountain in November of last year when she slipped on a log and knocked herself unconscious. She lost her phone and her gloves and ended up spending two days in the woods before search crews found her and airlifted them to safety.
Coyle said at the time that the media attention led to a spike in traffic to Coquitlam Search and Rescue's website and a significant increase in donations.
"It's very difficult to tell, but we do know our public contacts went up a lot this year, and it was mostly due to Anette," Coyle said this week.
Even when they're not conducting searches, SAR members spend countless hours training.
In 2018, Coyle said there were 108 training events, totaling 631 hours or 3,908 person hours. The team also conducted 58 meetings totaling 153 hours, he added.
To limit the number of tasks Coquitlam Search and Rescue conducts in 2019, he said people need to be prepared when heading out for a hike in the woods, particularly during the cold and wet seasons.
Anyone heading into the back country, even if only for a quick walk, should be equipped with the ten essentials, which can be found on the Coquitlam Search and Rescue website coquitlam-sar.bc.ca).
@gmckennaTC
