Castlegar SAR rescues off-road Trail motorbike enthusiast
By Castlegar Source
On Aug. 28 at approximately 5 p.m., the Castlegar RCMP received notification that a SOS activation was made on a satellite emergency notification device that was registered to a 60-year-old Trail resident.
The GPS coordinates were provided by the service provider of the device along with the male’s emergency contact person. It was identified the male was off road biking out of cellular phone range and may be in need of assistance.
Castlegar RCMP attended to the GPS location, which was along the Columbia and Western Rail Trail, and located the male, who had injured himself while riding and was in need of medical assistance.
“In an area that does not have cellular phone coverage, the rider was properly equipped with a device that could be used to signal distress, provide his location and emergency contact information,” said Castlegar RCMP top cop Sgt. Monty Taylor. “Given the isolated location, Castlegar Search and Rescue were contacted. (They) attended and transported the male to the trailhead where (an) ambulance was waiting.”
The male was transported to hospital for his non-life threatening injuries and is expected to make a full recovery.
“Castlegar SAR does a lot of training, they’re all volunteers, and they do incredible work,” Taylor said, adding the group gets little recognition considering the staggering amount of work they do, year after year, rescuing people from all manner of situations and terrains.
