Coquitlam Search and Rescue calls on community for help storing its new rescue boat
The Coquitlam Search and Rescue team is calling on its community for help finding a spot to store its new rescue boat.
Robert Sell, a team leader who’s volunteered with the organization for more than a decade, says that finding a spot in the Tri-Cities to store the boat will improve the speed at which they can respond to calls.
“We have this wonderful new boat which can rescue people so much faster, but we really can't leave it outside,” he said.
The boats are an essential tool that help the team respond to an increasing number of rescue calls.
“So far this year, we've seen as many marine type rescues as we saw in the entire year last year, so it’s dramatically going up,” he said.
Sell said that a warehouse or garage with a lock, away from wildlife and inclement weather, would be an ideal storage spot.
“One of our primary factors for rescuing people is speed,” he said. “If we have to stop to kick a family of raccoons out of the back of the boat before we launch, that's not going to be good.”
The organization responds to calls on the Pitt River, Indian Arm, Buntzen Lake, Sasamat Lake, and the Fraser River – areas that people are increasingly attracted to for outdoor recreation, Sell said.
“We really need to be able to get in there and … be that safety net for them.”
The boats are used either to retrieve stranded boaters or swimmers, or as a base from which to transmit radio communications further afield.
“We go wherever we need to go, and that doesn't necessarily have cell phone coverage. So it's really important for us to be able to transmit communications and this does that very well,” Sell said.
Anyone who thinks they might have enough room to store the boat and its towing vehicle can visit Coquitlam Search and Rescue’s website and fill out their application form.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
DEVELOPING Israel says Hamas deal is 'far' from meeting its demands as Rafah offensive looms
Israel said the terms of a ceasefire deal Hamas accepted on Monday remained 'far from' meeting its demands and warned its military operations in Rafah would continue, even as it sent negotiators to talk to mediators.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
2024 Met Gala: Everything to know about fashion's annual soiree
Fashion's biggest night out — hosted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York each year on the first Monday of May — is both a forever-evolving spectacle and a carefully crafted event.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Concern over speeding in Fredericton neighbourhood grows after 2 teens, young adult killed in crash
Three people – including two teens – are dead, and two others are injured after a crash that has left a greater Fredericton community shaken.