In the News

[7rxc]

Just found this good news... and yes it is a Geocaching topic.

 

Child found

 

This was an early story so I guess the spelling can be forgiven a bit.

 

Doug 7rxc

[+larryc43230]

Just found this good news... and yes it is a Geocaching topic.

 

Child found

 

This was an early story so I guess the spelling can be forgiven a bit.

 

Doug 7rxc

Those guys don't fool around when a child goes missing. Great job!

 

--Larry

[7rxc]

 

Those guys don't fool around when a child goes missing. Great job!

 

--Larry

 

They certainly do a good job! British Columbia has an excellent system for responding to 'lost' persons. The RCMP have responsibility for searches but are partners with some of the best SAR teams around. The interface between the two are great and improving. BC is a large province with a relatively small population and we all take 'lost' and/or 'injured' in the bush very seriously. Note that the SAR team there was already on the way when the dog handler 'got his man' and was stood down. Time counts in a search, especially for a young child, they can move quite quickly when you don't want them to.

 

Good reason to keep your kids under close scrutiny in the bush. The young and defenseless can be preyed on by wildlife, as well as being prone to accidents on top of it all. This is a 'fun' pastime, and something like this incident can certainly spoil that quickly.

 

As a side note, I've been trying to get "Are they known to be Geocachers?" added to the 'what reason for trip' section of our Lost Person profile questions. We were out last week for a couple who otherwise fit the 'typical' Geocacher description. Fond of exploring backroads, hiking, mid to late 40's and so on. Knowing they were MIGHT have helped. As it was they were NOT caching,

but they were 'exploring' and out of their stated goal area by a bit. They were found and recovered safely after several days.

Says more about filing trip plans and sticking to them. That is a favourite issue for me. This area is too big to have to guess where people go to play.

 

Doug 7rxc

Edited April 29, 2012 by 7rxc

[+T.D.M.22]

 

 

They certainly do a good job! British Columbia has an excellent system for responding to 'lost' persons. The RCMP have responsibility for searches but are partners with some of the best SAR teams around. The interface between the two are great and improving. BC is a large province with a relatively small population and we all take 'lost' and/or 'injured' in the bush very seriously. Note that the SAR team there was already on the way when the dog handler 'got his man' and was stood down. Time counts in a search, especially for a young child, they can move quite quickly when you don't want them to.

 

Good reason to keep your kids under close scrutiny in the bush. The young and defenseless can be preyed on by wildlife, as well as being prone to accidents on top of it all. This is a 'fun' pastime, and something like this incident can certainly spoil that quickly.

 

As a side note, I've been trying to get "Are they known to be Geocachers?" added to the 'what reason for trip' section of our Lost Person profile questions. We were out last week for a couple who otherwise fit the 'typical' Geocacher description. Fond of exploring backroads, hiking, mid to late 40's and so on. Knowing they were MIGHT have helped. As it was they were NOT caching,

but they were 'exploring' and out of their stated goal area by a bit. They were found and recovered safely after several days.

Says more about filing trip plans and sticking to them. That is a favourite issue for me. This area is too big to have to guess where people go to play.

 

Doug 7rxc

The story said provincial SAR-techs. You seem to know about it, I thought BC, like Alberta had regional SAR teams.And is that couple you here talking about, the ones that where found in the cabin and the guy had a broken leg? And just to keep this GC-related I too agree that SAR-techs would benefit from knowing some is a cacher.

[7rxc]

 

The story said provincial SAR-techs. You seem to know about it, I thought BC, like Alberta had regional SAR teams.And is that couple you here talking about, the ones that where found in the cabin and the guy had a broken leg? And just to keep this GC-related I too agree that SAR-techs would benefit from knowing some is a cacher.

 

To be clear, the Kamloops 'find' was done by the RCMP dog / handler. The RCMP helicopter was getting wound up and the local SAR team was also activated. Both of these were stood down due to the fast find by the K9. I can't speak for the air guys, but the SAR teams usually like to be stood down with good news, since everyone likes to ride in helos, they probably weren't quite as happy, but everyone enjoys a good news story. I was quite a way from this event down in the East Kootenay.

 

Now, BC SAR is composed of individual teams, some are town teams and some named after regions, but all cover areas, and all work together when needed. They are coordinated under the Provincial Emergency Program and under the control of the RCMP for Ground Search. This isn't too different from Alberta, but they are different provinces... but most SAR from anywhere work about the same way based on the Incident Command Structure framework. If you are interested, then you are best advised to contact your local SAR for information, or training. Almost all are volunteer organizations and at very least those who frequent the outdoors should be supporters of the local SAR group who almost all the time could use extra funding to keep operating. This applies everywhere not just here, some more than others of course, regions vary. Ground Search training is useful and not overly demanding in either time or skills. There are the more technical forms like rope rescue and swiftwater rescue that take more time to train for, but again are not just for whiz kids, just more to learn. All require the GSAR base course in BC and most areas.

 

As for the couple from Alberta, that sounds like the right ones. Our area was north and east of where they were found, so our groups were searching areas in our respective areas then assisting with our neighbours. That is standard procedure, the groups in Alberta were doing the same. The fact that they managed to locate a radio that worked was the key to finding them for the police.

I understand that that area was next for air searching by them in any regard... but the results might have been different.

 

They were not Geocaching, but backroading, but when people do go into the field, it is nice to know what they were intending to do there, and especially where and when they were going to do it. Geocachers do tend to get into places that others don't even think about or know, so that information could be important when planning a search.

 

I mentioned trip plans as well this is a Canadian source for a usable form: Trip Plan

Fill one in and leave it with a trusted friend with instructions on when to implement it. Never fail to cancel the plan when you are done whatever.

 

Hope that helps, email works too since this is slightly off topic but important.

 

Doug 7rxc

[knowschad]

This was an early story so I guess the spelling can be forgiven a bit.

You mean, words like "geo-cashing"?

[7rxc]

This was an early story so I guess the spelling can be forgiven a bit.

You mean, words like "geo-cashing"?

yah! who needs the hyphen right? ahem!

 

The first one I saw (the link) was only 6 hours old, one would hope any updates were better done. I think that was taken from a police press release, since the text is repeated on several news sites... sometimes with small variations. Haven't looked for or seen anything else.

 

At least it wasn't the bomb squad doing the find, we know where that might have led... but he looks suspicious so, kidblooie!

Forgive me for jesting a bit, I'm tired been a busy month so far. Like that missing minister in ASP (now remains recovered) search, I tend to take SAR seriously and like people to understand a bit about the process and how to ease the process to success.

 

Doug 7rxc

[+The_Incredibles_]

I mentioned trip plans as well this is a Canadian source for a usable form: Trip Plan

Fill one in and leave it with a trusted friend with instructions on when to implement it. Never fail to cancel the plan when you are done whatever.

 

Thanks for posting this, this is good info to have.

[7rxc]

I mentioned trip plans as well this is a Canadian source for a usable form: Trip Plan

Fill one in and leave it with a trusted friend with instructions on when to implement it. Never fail to cancel the plan when you are done whatever.

 

Thanks for posting this, this is good info to have.

You're Welcome... I've posted that many times in similar threads. Actually that whole web site has some useful things depending on what you want to partake in.

 

I'm of the opinion that MANY Geocachers have a lot of the skills that SAR can use, whether or not they join a SAR team. Getting people to be prepared for the field work is important... someone who does NOT become a subject of a search is to me about the same level (if not more) than someone who is a searcher. The basic SAR skill set is not exotic, field navigation (map/compass and GPS), First Aid, a bit of survival skills, communications (radio procedures) is the basic set. The only unique part to many is the search methodology and most Geocachers often have a better than average grasp on most of that... since we are used to looking for and finding the hard to find. That translates well in regard to 'evidence' and 'clues', not to mention spotting the subject. In fact many BC cachers are already active in SAR, and not surprisingly quite a few SAR members have and are starting to Geocache. Simply a good fit of interests... same goes for other outdoors people.

 

The rest can help by being prepared for the field a bit better, and perhaps where it is possible financially supporting the people who do participate in SAR events. There are many ways the general public does assist in searches, last summer in Sparwood the surrounding community groups provided most of the feeding and other support services in a big way. Not at all unusual. Freed up a lot more people to search the area. Even in SAR not everyone works the field all the time, but everyone tries to get out some. But there are planners, communicators, logistics people, even the accountants who keep track of everything. Almost everyone does what they can manage. Police are scarce in rural BC, so volunteers are almost mandatory and we all know it. Just about the same everywhere, since most of the world isn't 'downtown'. Some places the callout load is so high I wonder how they manage to keep it up. I watch the Vancouver news on Global and N. Vans North Shore SAR seems to be out all the time up Grouse or similar areas.

Do they ever get to live their own lives?

 

Doug 7rxc

[knowschad]

This was an early story so I guess the spelling can be forgiven a bit.

You mean, words like "geo-cashing"?

yah! who needs the hyphen right? ahem!

Actually, its more like, "who needs the money, right?"

[7rxc]

You mean, words like "geo-cashing"?

yah! who needs the hyphen right? ahem!

Actually, its more like, "who needs the money, right?"

Money? Don't we do things for peanuts? Or in this case cashews, thus Geocashewing!

Whole idea drives me nuts... although some say it's a more like a short putt.

 

Doug 7rxc

[7rxc]

The story said provincial SAR-techs. You seem to know about it, I thought BC, like Alberta had regional SAR teams.

 

Not sure if you need the information, but in general this is the place to find information. Alberta SAR

 

Medicine Hat is in listed under South Region. It is home to SEASAR group (South East Alberta SAR).

 

Doug 7rxc

[+DragonsWest]

Leash Laws for small children?

 

[+6NoisyHikers]

If you can have leashes for children (which I am *completely* in support of), how about these?

 

[+The Jester]

If you can have leashes for children (which I am *completely* in support of), how about these?

 

I'm thinking more along the lines of implanted GPSr chip that you could track on a handheld (kinda like this without the collar and whip antenna).