BC rescue teams ask residents to stay out of the backcountry this Easter weekend

Search and rescue teams across British Columbia have called on residents to give the backcountry a miss over the long weekend.

They are hoping to see a week entirely free of calls so volunteers can stay home and protect themselves and others from potential COVID-19 exposure.

The Easter long weekend is one of the busiest for BC Search and Rescue Association (BCSARA) teams.

“The average number of search and rescue calls in British Columbia in April is 121 and to see a 50% reduction over last year in the first week is an excellent trend,” said Chris Kelly, president of the BCSARA.

“But we can do better. We are heading into our busy season where, historically, calls begin to increase. I’d like to see one week where we have no calls in the province, something that has not happened as long as I can remember.”

All 2,500 BCSARA volunteers across the province’s 79 teams are avoiding interactions with others as much as possible.

They have stopped training and now conduct meetings online.

But in the event of an emergency, 20 or 30 members of a team are thrust together and the risk of spreading COVID-19 increases.

“When called out, these search and rescue personnel try to maintain a distance of two meters from each other,” said Dwight Yochim, senior manager at BCSARA.

“They also have protocols in place to limit the number of members who interact with the lost or injured person. Those individuals put on personal protective equipment, they mask the subject and when the task is over, they have to disinfect their equipment.

“Every step of the way they have been placed at risk of exposure to COVID-19 and now so have their families.”