Help! North Shore Rescue facing unprecedented surge in call-outs

North Shore Rescue says it handled anunprecedented surge in call-outs over the last two weeks, includingthreemore rescues over the weekend.

"In the last 14 days, we've had 14 calls," says NSR Team Leader Mike Danks. "Typically summer is our busiest timebut what we're seeing is a bit of an anomaly"

Saturday 'Double Feature'

On Saturday,NSRperformed two rescues in whatits ownwebsite calleda "Saturday Double Feature". First,ground and air teams were sent torescuean injured femalenearthe summit of Hollyburn Mountain.

Just as that operation endedtheir flight crew was called to theSunshine Coast to help crewswith a hypothermic patient who had broken a leg after falling downa waterfall.

On Sunday NSRteams plucked a distressed hiker off Crown Mountain at twilight, making for the thirdhelicopter longline rescue of the weekend.

Last week a crew was also dispatchedto the Sunshine Coast after a paraglider got caught in a tree. They were halfway there when the call wascancelled. As well, NSR teams were dispatched toaid in a rescue on Vancouver Island.

Taxing, but gratifying

Danks says the increasein call-outs, especially the back-to-back calls,have been taxingfor North Shore Rescue members, all of whom are volunteers. But he also says it's been gratifying.

"It's been incredibly busy.But we've had positive results with all the calls so we're grateful in that sense."

The North Shore Rescue website has an extensive education page with tips and information to help hikers and back country enthusiasts stay safe and be prepared in the event something goes wrong.

As well, NSR is in the process of outfitting all their volunteer with helmet cameras. Increasinglyrescue footage is being recorded anduploaded to their website.

Danks says the footage is invaluable from an education perspective.

"Number one it's great for us to reviewand critique ourselves. But it also really gets our message out there to show people what we do in the back country.

North Shore Rescue will be celebrating its 50th anniversary September 13th with an open house at their rescue base. Details will be released soon.

Salmon rescue

North Shore Rescue is also working on a different kind of rescue campaign, teaming up withtheSeymour SalmonidSociety to help spawning salmon get around a rockslide that has blocked the river.

NSR will setup a high-line rope system which will move large bags of live, trapped salmonfrom theriver to a truck. The fish will then be driven around the rockslide and either released back into the river, or at the Seymour Hatchery.

• Stuck salmon to be trucked around rockslide

Dankssays besides helping the fish, setting up the high-line system will be avaluable training opportunity for North Shore Rescue volunteers.