Search team upgrades its rescue skills

More than 70 search and rescue volunteers from around the province will be at Kelowna’s Myra Adventure Park this weekend to upgrade their rope rescue skills.

The Central Okanagan Rope Exercise (CORE) is a regional training event that will feature seven instructors offering educational sessions and giving the volunteers an opportunity to practice their high-angle rope rescue skills and techniques.

“High angle rope rescue teams require extensive ongoing training to remain current with their certifications,” event organizer and COSAR president Brad Trites, said. “Events such as CORE help provide the training they need as well as the opportunity for rope rescue techs from different regions to have the opportunity to train together.”

Trites added COSAR covers a 5,000 square km area which includes numerous canyons, cliffs, and steep terrain that occasionally requires the use of their rope team to extract subjects that have found themselves in trouble.

“As such, it’s great to have an event such as CORE here to ensure that our team has access to such a quality training opportunity to help keep our skills at the best possible level,” Trites said.

Rope rescue training (Image credit: COSAR)

COSAR is thanking Myra Adventure Park, Coast Ropes, Valhalla Pure Outfitters and Big White Ski Resort for their support, and the Salvation Army for feeding the close to 80 volunteers.

For more information, contact Brad Trites 250-859-3879 or president@cosar.ca