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Coquitlam SAR still waiting on helicopter rescue equipment

"It's getting a little demoralizing," said Coquitlam SAR manager
Michael Coyle. "We were hoping we'd have that tool all ready to go."

The latest search for a 43-year-old man and his dog who
went missing on Eagle Ridge on Canada Day, and were stranded on the
mountain overnight, ended when he was spotted from the air at about 3:30
p.m. on Tuesday.

Rescuers dropped water to him but because none of the
ground teams were close to the hiker North Shore Search and Rescue was
called in for a Helicopter Long Line Rescue (HETS). Both the uninjured
hiker and his dog were back at the command post by 6 p.m.

There are 13 Coquitlam SAR members trained in long line
rescue procedures, but the team is still waiting for the necessary
equipment to be able to perform the rescues themselves. They're waiting
on Transport Canada to certify new equipment, a process that has now
been in the works for about eight months.

Coyle said the number of times they've called on the
North Shore SAR team this year is consistent with the predictions they
made when applying for the grant money needed to build the team's
expertise.

"This is the best way to get someone out of there,"
Coyle said, adding it could have taken a ground team several more hours
to reach the missing hiker on Tuesday.

A Transport Canada spokesperson said the equipment
required for long line rescues has evolved over the years, with changes
to the materials, specifications and suppliers, all of which need to be
approved by the federal agency before it can be used in a rescue.

The delays, she added, are because "the company needs
to document the changes that have evolved over time and submit
supporting data for Transport Canada's approval."

They are currently waiting for that data from the only
company in Canada that is certified to sell it and, in the meantime,
"Transport Canada is extending interim approvals for search and rescue
societies."

Teams with existing gear have been able to re-certify
it but because Coquitlam SAR needed to purchase new equipment, they have
to wait for the Transport Canada approvals.