COSAR responded to six incidents in seven days

Last week was the busies of the year so far for Central Okanagan Search and Rescue (COSAR).

COSAR responded to six events over the course of seven days.

The first occurred on Tuesday, May 17, where COSAR rescued an injured hiker near Chute Lake Resort.

On Wednesday, May 18, COSAR members were tasked with finding an 83 year old woman with dementia who was last seen in downtown Kelowna. The woman was located with help from Kelowna RCMP.

On Thursday, May 19, COSAR members were dispatched to rescue an injured ATVer near the Dog House snowmobile cabin. The rider was suffering serious injuries, but no helicopters were available locally to collect the male rider. Penticton Search and Rescue’s (PenSAR) medical team dispatched a helicopter to the scene, and the male rider was evacuated to a waiting ambulance.

COSAR members were dispatched to two separate incidents on Sunday, May 22.

Eleven members were sent to Penticton early Sunday morning to support PenSAR in a mutual aid search for a lost hiker near Idleback Lake. The hiker was successfully located around 10:30 a.m.

Later that same day, COSAR members were sent out to Scenic Canyon Regional Park where a hiker had gone missing. After a short search the missing person was located by the local RCMP.

The final event occurred on Monday, May 24, when COSAR was tasked with rescuing an injured dirt biker near James Lake. The rider had crashed on a trail 500 metres from the road, but managed to get to James Lake Forest Service Road, where he was met by B.C. Ambulance paramedics.

In a release, COSAR search Manager, Duane Tresnich, said there were concerns about the increase in incidents that members were called to over the week, but is grateful that most had successful outcomes.

“For the most part people are prepared,” said Tresnich.

“Accidents happen and because people are filing trip plans, bringing the right gear and not going out alone, we have had successful outcomes.”

To date, COSAR has responded to 31 tasks in 2022, which is well below the record 106 incidents the year prior.