North Shore Rescue is working with one hand tied behind their back, the team's leader says
North Shore Rescue’s leader says it’s only a matter of time before someone dies needlessly in the backcountry because provincial bureaucrats are preventing the team from doing their job.
“Numerous times, we've been in this situation where we could save a life by contravening the policy, or we can follow this rule and fly away and leave someone to die,” said Mike Danks. “It’s exposing a lot of people to risk when the reality is, we could do this job with far less people way more efficiently by using a hoist.”
“The downwash from that aircraft is insane. It's not suitable for mountainous terrain, whatsoever. It's not what it's designed for,” he said. “[The hoist] would have been the ideal tool. This would have got this gentleman out in a much more safe and efficient manner. But again, because of some unwritten rule and fear, we're not allowed to use the tool.”
North Vancouver-Lonsdale NDP MLA Bowinn Ma arranged for Danks to meet with the higher-ups in EMBC. When they last discussed the matter, on May 13, EMBC told Danks they’d have a response within the coming weeks. Danks was hoping to have approval before fall when earlier sunsets greatly increase the risk for subjects and rescuers alike. But it’s been five months of “crickets” since, he said.
“There will be a point where the volunteers break, because they are so frustrated with not being supported and we're getting to that breaking point,” he said. “And we need the community to rally and support us and get some action out of the EMBC because the time is now.”
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