There’s a new Squamish Search and Rescue member in town. She is tough, dependable and has already led a rescue operation. She was part of the team that rescued two hikers off of the Stawamus Chief last weekend.
But the new member doesn’t have a name, yet.
She is the new, decked-out Squamish Search and Rescue response truck that joins SAR’s other arsenal of rescue vehicles including a jet boat, two all-terrain vehicles, two snowmobiles and two other trucks.
The customized Ford F350 cost a total of about $75,000 but is invaluable to members, according to SAR president BJ Chute.
“It is instrumental to our response,” he said.
“The truck is basically designed that we can show up with our own personal gear and then go to handle probably 90 per cent of all of the calls.”
Prior to getting the new vehicle, members often used their personal vehicles to get to rescue locations, according to Chute. An older SAR truck prepped for water rescues will be sold, said Tennessee Trent, vice-president of the volunteer organization. Another older truck will also still be used.
Six rescuers and their gear can fit in the new truck that comes with bright spotlights, a wired canopy and a sliding truck bed that can be rolled out with gear, Trent said.
Its first time out was to a significant rescue, Chute said.
Two women became stranded on a trail off the main Chief hiking route on March 13.
“It was a long call,” recalled Chute. “We tried to hike to them Sunday night. We weren’t able to. We came back, had a few hours sleep, went back out first thing Monday morning.”
The hikers’ location and the cold, rainy weather complicated the rescue, Chute said.
Trent and another rescuer, both climbers, were dropped into the gully by helicopter on a long line to reach the women, who had spent a chilly and wet night huddled in the dark awaiting rescue.
“[Rescuers] were able to go to a little ledge, climb along a rock wall, rappel down below them and climb up to them,” Chute said, adding the women were uninjured.
Having the new truck made a difference to the rescue, Chute said.
“It was just so nice to have it,” he said. “It’s all enclosed, everything is dry and secure.”
So far the truck hasn’t been given a name as other vehicles have, so they just call their newest member “new truck,” Chute said with a laugh.
As with most things related to SAR, the funds for the truck came from donations.
Squamish Search and Rescue had more than 100 calls out last year, according to Trent. To learn more, go to www.squamishsar.org.
