Province could close parks if users aren't careful, warn south Island volunteers

Amid record calls for rescues, volunteers are reminding park users to practise caution as there is a risk the province could close outdoor spaces. Victoria Weber, senior SAR manager for Juan de Fuca Search and Rescue, cited a pair of calls the prior weekend on the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail near China Beach: on Aug. 15 around 1 p.m. a man fell down a cliff near the beach with believed two broken legs and was taken to hospital by helicopter that evening; and on the Sunday a man fell while carrying camping gear up a creekbed near waterfalls, with the couple found under lightning and rain shortly after midnight and the man carried out by stretcher. Weekend training near Port Renfrew also highlighted how busy trails are this summer. Last year Juan de Fuca Search and Rescue had 30 calls, an average of 2.5 per month; last weekend's calls alone surpassed that total with 32 to date. Provincewide, 79 ground search and rescue groups include more than 2,500 unpaid volunteers tasked with about 1,700 incidents in a typical year, and Emergency Management B.C. recorded 333 search and rescue events across the province the previous month - a record BC Search Rescue Association board member Jim McAllister called particularly worrisome during a pandemic.