Eight members of Central Cariboo Search and Rescue were tasked out to help an injured hiker.
Member and Public Relations Coordinator Debra Bortolussi said they were called mid-morning yesterday (Tuesday) to the Riske Creek Area, 30 miles west of Williams Lake, to assist BC Emergency Health Services.
“The area was quite steep and rocky terrain so we responded with three teams, a helicopter team, ATV and UTV team. We were able to take those vehicles as far as we could on the trail then had to hike in the rest of the way to the hiker.”
Bortulussi said from there Cariboo Search and Rescue had to utilize mutual aid from Prince George Search and Rescue in the form of their Long Line Rescue Team.
“They came with a helicopter, the long line and team some team members who could help us with that. We assisted them with long lining the patient to the awaiting BC Emergency Health Services ambulance and from there the paramedics took the individual to the Cariboo Memorial Hospital.”
Bortulussi noted although the call didn’t come until mid-morning the extrication of the patient happened in the evening due to the nature of how the call came in and the limited information they had.
“The person was with another hiker so that person had to trek down from where they were and then access a ranch to use their phone to call in for help. We’ve used helicopters in the past but this is our first time using the long line one from Prince George. Normally in these situations we’re able to hike the patient out on a stretcher to the helicopter or to the side-by-side and then to a helicopter, but the terrain was too steep and too rocky for us to safely carry the person out that’s why needed to utilize the long line,” Bortolussi said.
–Files by Pat Matthews, My Cariboo Now
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