Coquitlam Search and Rescue (CSAR) is in the market for a new boat.
Tom Zajac, CSAR president, said fundraising is getting underway to replace the group’s 25-year-old zodiac, which recently broke down and is no longer reliable in an emergency. “We actually had an engine failure,” he told The Tri-City News Tuesday. “We are now relying on assistance from Ridge Meadows [Search and Rescue] and our smaller boat to do any water operations.”
A new boat would need to be aluminum enclosed and capable of navigating everything from the shallow waters around Widgeon Creek to the Pitt and Fraser rivers.
Monday, Coquitlam council agreed to release $33,000 that had been put in reserve for a boat replacement but Zajac said that will only cover a portion of the estimated $125,000 price tag.
To cover the rest of the total, SAR will be approaching other municipalities and community organizations as well as relying on donations from the public. Anyone interested in contributing can click the Donate Now button on the Coquitlam Search and Rescue website (coquitlam-sar.bc.ca/support-us).
