Injured student carried from Juan de Fuca Trail in hours-long rescue

A student who fell on a school hike on the Juan de Fuca Trail had to be carried out on a stretcher for about four hours. Juan de Fuca Search and Rescue was notified about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday [May 8] after a 911 cellphone call from B.C. Ambulance Service. Co-ordinator Victoria Clarke said 13 Juan de Fuca team members responded, joined by four from Metchosin Search and Rescue. "We had to use ropes on a couple of occasions to secure the stretcher," Clarke said. The operation concluded early Thursday morning. Clarke: "I think what happens is because it's so close to Victoria and it's a shorter trail, some people underestimate the challenges." She noted that marine SAR and helicopters were not options in this instance: "As a team, we know we can't rely on a helicopter or boat — we have to be able to perform this kind of rescue and that's what we train for." The Juan de Fuca group has 42 active members who put in a combined 12,000 hours in 2023 — an increase from 2022.