Search and Rescue crews help two injured people down Mount Benson

Search and Rescue crews help two injured people down Mount Benson
CHEK

It was a busy Saturday for Search and Rescue crews.

At 2:30 in the afternoon, Nanaimo Search and Rescue got a call for a woman who had slipped and fallen on Mount Benson.

Just as Search and Rescue helped her into a BC Ambulance around four in the afternoon Search and Rescue got a second call for a man who had slipped and fallen near the top and dislocated his shoulder.

“All the search and rescue members involved in the first search deployed right back out. They didn’t come back to the hall,” said Eugene Touchette, the Nanaimo SAR Search Commander.

A helicopter was called from 442 Squadron at CFB Comox to airlift the patient down the mountain but the cloud cover wouldn’t allow it. The military did drop flares to help crews on the mountain see better as they helped the man descend in the dark.

He was able to climb into a BC Ambulance at 11:30 and was taken to the hospital.

Touchette said people need to be aware there’s a lot of snow on the mountain right now.

“Be aware that if we have warm days that snow melts and then it turns to ice and with the cold weather system we have it’s quite cold up there right now.”

Nanaimo SAR had 18 members and Arrowsmith SAR had 10 members involved in the rescues.

Touchette says they have some tired members but they’re glad for the positive outcomes and that they beat the snow system that was moving in.

Kendall HansonKendall Hanson

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