CompassThe Magazine of the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue November 2013

Bringing Stations Together in the North See page 2

[email protected] 24-hr. Media Line (+1) 778-352-1006 NORTHERN SAREX

Search and rescue exercises involving several stations provide valuable training and oppor- tunities for many members to meet each other and share ideas and techniques. This year there were major exercises in both the south and the north. A number of RCM-SAR’s northern stations took part in Northern SAREx (Search and Rescue Exercise) 2013 the weekend of Sep- tember 21-22. Forty-one members took part in the training, including crews from stations 45 Masset, 63 Kitimat, 64 Prince Rupert, 65 Lax Kw’alaams, 74 Gitxaala and 75 Gingolx. It was great to see so many of our members present! The group gathered in Prince Rupert on Saturday morning for an introduction at the hotel prior to proceeding to the station for on-water/shore-side exercises. The activities for the day included joint training scenarios involving search patterns, first aid/shore ex- traction, towing, navigation and communica- tion. All the crews demonstrated their excel- lent boat-handling skills and worked together seamlessly during the various scenarios. On Saturday night there was dinner and an awards and recognition ceremony at Stiles Place Seafood & Grill. They did an excellent job at hosting our group—we even had our own private room overlooking the harbour! On Sunday morning, crews prepared them- selves to get wet! The community pool was booked and lessons were provided on survival

Compass 2 November 2013 NORTHERN SAREX

A Member’s Perspective

The members from RCM-SAR Station 65 Lax Kw’alaams really enjoyed participating in this exercise, which took place in our traditional Tsimshian territory. We enjoyed the on-water training, scenarios, first aid training and chart work. Marko (Kessler, Prince Rupert station leader) did an awesome job setting this all up in Prince Rupert. It was very nice to finally meet some of the staff from Victoria as well. It is a rare opportunity for the northern stations to all get together and share in training and to meet members from different communities who are all in this for the same reasons—to make our waters safer for everyone to use and enjoy. Thanks to the RCM-SAR head office and Station 64 Prince Rupert for the fun-filled weekend—and the craft, emergency duties and GMDSS (Global A huge thank you to trainers Marko Kessler, great food! Maritime Distress and Safety System). There Jason van der Valk, Calvin Grav and Shawn were also mini-lessons offered on chart work Petriw—without your help this weekend Jim Henry and first aid. would not have been possible. Thanks again, Station Leader The weekend was an extremely good op- and hope to see you all at Northern SAREx Station 65 Lax Kw’alaams portunity to learn from each other and share 2014! various training ideas and experiences. Thanks very much to everyone who participated in Cheryl Caldwell this training, including the RCM-SAR office Director of Training staff.

Compass 3 November 2013 RESCUERESCUE ROUNDUPS It’s been a challenging month for RCM-SAR crews, who have dealt with everything from missing canoeists to serious medical emergencies.

Stations 5 Crescent Beach & 8 Delta—October 8 & 9

Concern for an overdue canoeist led to a multi-day, multi-agency rescue involving RCM-SAR crews from Crescent Beach and Delta. At 7:30 p.m. on October 8, the Crescent Beach station was tasked to search Bound- ary Bay for an overdue canoeist who had departed Centennial Beach in Delta Police and Surrey Search & Rescue. Delta to check a crab trap sometime in the evening on October 7. The Station 8 coxswain Douglas Blais and crewmembers Jeff Engholm, missing person’s vehicle was located at Centennial Beach with no sign Clara Johnson and Shane Meyers departed base in their dedicated re- of the person or vessel. sponse vessel Spirit of Delta IV, tasked to search Mud Bay for a red and Coxswain Morgan Brewster and crewmembers Peter Allan, John white crab trap float that the canoeist was believed to be checking. DelMonte, Glenn Petersen and James Watson departed base 15 min- An extensive search in Semiahmoo Bay, Boundary Bay and surround- utes later aboard Station 5’s dedicated response vessel Vigilant I. They ing areas continued for hours until both stations were stood down just conducted a shoreline search from Crescent Beach Marina to Point before midnight and were advised that they would be tasked again at Whitehorn. first light if the subject was not found during the night. Just after 8:00 p.m., RCM-SAR’s Delta station was also tasked to join The next day Station 5 coxswain Wes Kozak and crewmembers Peter the search, which included the Coast Guard hovercraft Siyay, an RCAF Allan, John DelMonte, Glenn Petersen and Tom Tammpere and Sta- Comorant helicopter and an RCAF Buffalo fixed-wing aircraft from tion 8 coxswain Kevin McIntosh and crewmembers Clara Johnson, 442 Squadron in Comox as well as Surrey RCMP, White Rock RCMP, Robert Maitland and Peter Motzek were tasked to continue the search.

Compass 4 November 2013 RESCUE

Both stations were stood down shortly after 1:00 p.m., but after the man’s submerged canoe was discovered 6.5 kilometres south of Point Roberts, Station 5 was tasked again and coxswain Wes Kozak and crew- members Morgan Brewster, Patrick Grundle and Sig Kristensen took part in a creeping line search.

Later that afternoon, after 24 hours, the search was called off (based Brewster Morgan Photo: on the amount of time the canoeist had been missing and the tempera- ture of the water) and the investigation was handed over to Delta police. Sadly, the canoeist’s body was discovered on October 15 south of the BC coast in American waters. Despite this tragic outcome, the man’s partner thanked everyone involved in the search and recovery and stated that, “He would (have been) amazed at how many people were looking for him. He would be so honoured that he was looked for.”

Station 27 Nanaimo—October 11

Friday October 11 turned into an eventful but difficult day for Station 27 Nanaimo after a callout to the waters off an uninhabited and rocky island east of Nanaimo. Just before 3:00 p.m., the Joint Rescue Coor- dination Centre advised Station 27 there was a diver with a possible embolism in the waters off Snake Island, a popular diving spot. Coxswain Mladen Zuvich and crewmembers Mike Banning, Jesse Ferguson, Michael Morin and Paul Mottershead left base within 16 minutes. On the way they passed a commercial diving vessel transport- ing the stricken diver to the Brechin Boat Ramp in Nanaimo. Continuing to Snake Island, the crew was advised by radio that two other divers were involved: the second had surfaced uninjured, and a third was missing. The Station 27 crew started an expanding square search to look for the missing diver or any signs, such as bubbles, that would indicate a diver below. With no success, they started a new search of parallel strips southwest of Snake Island, as well as shoreline searches of Protection and New-

Compass 5 November 2013 RESCUE

castle islands, Horswell Rock and Snake Island itself. Despite the incredible efforts of Station 27, multiple Coast Guard resources including divers, RCMP, the Nanaimo Port Authority, attend- ing paramedics and a Royal Canadian Air Force helicopter, as night fell the missing diver remained lost. The search did not resume Saturday because the water was too deep. “The level of depth is far too deep for our divers or Coast Guard divers to do safely,” Nanaimo RCMP Sgt. Sheryl Armstrong said. Two days later the body of the diver, 38, was recovered by volunteer technical divers (one of whom was Station 27 member Bob McCauley) in extremely deep water off the edge of Snake Island. TheTimes-Col - onist of Victoria quoted BC Coroners Service’s Barb McLintock: “We were fortunate because we knew basically where he should be, near the wall on Snake Island, and he was. He was down at a depth of 265 feet, which is very, very, deep. You need people with special skills and equip- ment to do that. nautical miles from Masset Harbour (pictured above). Fifteen minutes “We will work with experts to try and determine what went wrong. later, Coxswain Chris Ashurst and crewmembers Sheldon Braman, Vern This could have been a medical event, an equipment event, something Byberg and Collin Camire left Masset Harbour on the station’s vessel not right with the equipment, we don’t know.” NorthWard, bringing a basket stretcher, sterile cooler with ice and an To further add to the tragedy, the first diver, who was carried away extra floater suit in addition to their standard first aid kit. from the scene as RCM-SAR arrived, also died. He was 60. The crew arrived on scene at 5:50 p.m., tied up and provided first aid The deaths of the two men, both American, were the third and fourth to the young fisherman who was in shock with a badly bleeding wound diving deaths off Snake Island since 2008. that had been dressed by the fishing boat crew. RCM-SAR crewmem- Not all rescues are successful, but if a lesson can be learned and expe- ber Collin Camire, an emergency medical responder with BC Ambu- rience gained by survivors or rescuers, then not all is lost. lance, stabilized and packaged the patient for transport and put him in a floater suit and toque. The patient was then transferred toNorthWard and taken to the seaplane dock in Masset Harbour, where he was trans- Station 45 Masset—October 17 ferred to a waiting BC Ambulance team. According to Coxswain and Station Leader Chris Ashurst, thanks A young crab fisherman is lucky to still have all of his fingers after a to the excellent effort of the crew, “I believe not one minute could have fishing accident left one of his hands with nearly severed fingers and a been shaved from anyone’s time throughout the operation, including badly bleeding wound. At 5:00 p.m., the Masset station was tasked to sections of heavy tidal wave and current at Masset Inlet.” respond to a call for urgent medical assistance at Naden Harbour, 20 Well done, Station 45 Masset!

Compass 6 November 2013 FLOTSAM & JETSAM

SARScene Comes to British Columbia

he National Search and Rescue Secretariat’s annual SARScene conference took place on the weekend of October 19-21 at the RCMP Pacific Regional Training Centre in Chilliwack. T Co-hosted by the British Columbia Search and Rescue Association, the weekend featured SAR games, a trade show, a conference and training program (which included RCM-SAR) and a SAR Awards of Excellence banquet. Stay tuned to future issues of the Compass for more on this event and RCM-SAR’s involvement in it.

Everyone Loves to Rock and Roll!

CM-SAR Station 5 Crescent Beach is holding its 11th annual fundraiser dance on Saturday, November 16, at the Star of the Sea Hall in White Rock. R Over the years they have had Doug and the Slugs, Trooper, Chilliwack, Powder Blues and Prism perform. Cease and Desist have performed twice in the past and are scheduled to perform again this year. Every dance has netted a substantial profit and brought huge visibility to RCM- SAR and Station 5 in the community. Why not come out? The cost is only $25 per person and includes a great dance and a fantastic band. Station and supporting society members would be glad to share all of their experience and any information that other stations would need to put on a successful fundraiser like this one. It would also be a great opportunity to meet many fellow RCM-SAR members. For more information or to order tickets, contact Roger Barnes at 604-538-0017 or [email protected].

Congratulations Captain Caldwell!

CM-SAR Director of Training Cheryl Caldwell recently completed all requirements for her Ocean Master Unlimited Certificate, which is the highest Master Mariner license available. Cheryl finished all of her written exams earlier this year, and her recent completion of the oral exam Rmeans she has obtained her Master Mariner License. Officially, this means that Cheryl “may act as Master of a vessel of any tonnage engaged on an unlimited, a near coastal or sheltered waters voyage.” We are very fortunate to have such an accomplished and highly-skilled individual directing our training programs. Well done Cheryl!

Compass 7 October 2013 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Members Take the Spotlight at AGM

The RCM-SAR Annual General Meeting was tides, team-building saunas and easy-to-resist a chance to celebrate the success of members cultural delicacies like fermented shark meat. and stations during the past year. In addition Dennis Chopko of Station 34 Mill Bay to the awards for the “Top Three” missions was still on exchange in Germany at the time and a presentation from one of our “coxswains of the AGM, but sent a letter describing his overseas,” delegates heard from their col- experiences working with crews from Iceland, leagues about what is working well for their Norway, Denmark, the UK, Finland, Sweden stations, from new boats to successful recruit- and Estonia. The crews visited several lifeboat ing techniques. stations and went through a range of train- For the second year in a row the AGM ing exercises, and even got a real callout for a was held at the River Rock Casino Resort in sailboat aground. Richmond. The venue was chosen for its easy The business portion of the AGM included approval of RCM-SAR’s financial statements, -ap transportation links to the rest of the region. pointment of auditors, changes to bylaws as required by federal legislation and approval of a slate More than 60 people attended. of nominees for the Board of Governors. The 2013/14 board includes Jim Lee, Greg Miller, Chris President Jim Lee presented awards for Gouglas, Reg Marrinier, Hans Verbeek, Steve Jackson, Brian De Clare, Bill Bullis, Mandy Yip, the top three missions of the year to Station David Chamberlain, Steve Wyatt, Timothy Kendrick, John Wiseman and Randy Strandt. 64 Prince Rupert, Station 27 Nanaimo and Station 37 Sooke. Crews from all three sta- tions were on hand to accept the awards and describe their missions. With only two hours’ sleep since his return flight home, Kevin Robertson from Station 10 Richmond gave a presentation about his expe- rience with RCM-SAR’s sister organization in Finland. Kevin spent a week with the Finnish Lifeboat Institution as part of an exchange program organized by the International Maritime Rescue Federation. In addition to new SAR techniques and training methods, Kevin was also introduced to a landscape with Kevin (third from left) and crew in Finland Dennis (second from left) and crew in Germany literally thousands of islands, a sea with no

Compass 8 November 2013 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Year’s Top Three Missions Recognized at AGM

RCM-SAR held its AGM in Vancouver on October 6 and recognized stations 27 Nanaimo, 37 Sooke and 64 Prince Rupert for three of the most outstanding rescue missions of the year.

Station 27 Nanaimo—Vessel Aground

February 6: Five members of the Nanaimo station rescued a 42-year- old man aboard his 25-foot fibreglass sailing sloop aground and taking on water by the southwest side of Ballenas Islands four miles off Dorcas Point south of Parksville. In co-operation with the Cormorant helicopter from 442 Squadron and a French Creek Coast Guard vessel, Station 27 crewmembers ex- tracted one male from the boat on rocks in heavy surf. In spite of the poor conditions (heavy seas, low tide, 25-knot winds with rain and poor visibility), the 36-foot J.C. McGregor rescue vessel was able to approach the stricken vessel in shallow water and surf due to its jet drive capabilities and state-of-the-art rescue design. The crew returned to the Nanaimo Rescue Station three hours later with the rescued skipper, who was in good shape. He was then driven back to Ladysmith by one of the crewmembers. Station 37 Sooke—Pan Pan in the Fog

September 6: RCM-SAR’s Sooke station was tasked to find a bro- ken down 18-foot runabout in thick fog, unsure of its location with no (l to r): Nanaimo crewmembers Jerry Berry, Jesse Ferguson, Mladen Zuvich, electronics or GPS. Clayton Moore and Ken Swain After many hours of Sooke crewmembers searching and trying to establish contact, the runabout was able to download a GPS app onto

Compass 9 November 2013 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

their smartphone. The location provided put them in a very dangerous Prince Rupert crewmembers visited the patient in the hospital later position, right in the middle of a busy shipping lane. that evening with flowers and a get well card. She was slowly recovering. This vessel did not show up on radar at any stage, making finding it In the months since then she has made a full recovery, thanks in part in fog a long and difficult task. On close inspection the small fibreglass to the quick response of marine rescuers. boat did not have any radar reflectors. The owner was sternly spoken to about the need for radar reflectors, flares, VHF and safety equipment and the need for a seaworthy vessel! Station 64 Prince Rupert—Pan Pan turned to Mayday

March 20: At 11:42 a.m., the Prince Rupert station received a Pan Pan call. After speaking with the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, who asked for an additional medic, it became clear that this call would be a very serious one. A woman had slipped between two boats while docking and had been crushed. She was in severe pain and having trouble breathing. Crewmembers left Prince Rupert’s harbour 15 minutes later and battled 30-knot winds and 12-foot seas. Their rescue vessel—a new Falkins-class jet boat called the Orme G. Stuart—took such a pounding that crew at one point stopped to check for damage. Despite these conditions, the Orme G. Stuart made good time and arrived at Big Bay in just over 30 minutes. The patient was in one of the vessels, with possible broken ribs and spinal injuries. One of her lungs had collapsed. There was other help on the scene, including crews from the Canadian Coast Guard and Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The woman was put aboard the Orme G. Stuart and taken to the nearest area for a mede- vac helicopter to land, which was Port Simpson. During the last few minutes of the flight to the Prince Rupert hospi- tal the woman’s other lung collapsed. Doctors say she could have died if TheOrme G. Stuart docked in Port Simpson with the medevac helicopter she had arrived at the hospital even 10 minutes later. taking off in the background.

Compass 10 November 2013 PROFILE Supporting the Growth of RCM-SAR

Certified Human Resources Specialist Will Turner is RCM-SAR’s newest volunteer manager. Tasked with supporting RCM-SAR with effective human resources strategies and practices, he brings to the job skills and experiences well suited to his new role.

Can you share some background about yourself? I was born and raised in Ottawa—in the west end near Britannia Beach, to be more specific. I moved to Peterborough, Ontario to attend Trent University and then found myself teaching ESL in Ulsan, South Korea, for about a year and a half. After that, I followed a West Coast girl (and daughter of an RCM-SAR volunteer) to Vancouver, and after a brief stint studying Mandarin in Xiamen, China, I found myself here for good.

Tell us about your family and loved ones—do they have any thoughts about your involvement with RCM-SAR? By chance, I had begun to volunteer with first aid and I was look- ing for an opportunity to volunteer with an organization that was in a related field. As I alluded to above, my father-in-law has been involved with RCM-SAR for quite a few years and he sent me an email with a link mentioning that RCM-SAR was looking for an HR manager on a volunteer basis. So, given how this all came about, I’d say the family is supportive.

Compass 11 November 2013 PROFILE

What other volunteer work have you been involved that are both compliant with legislation (and there is a surprising in? amount of legislation to consider, believe me) as well as lean and effec- To be honest, I don’t have a lot of volunteer experience, but I’ve always tive. The ultimate goal is that anything I do should support the further believed in it. I believe that being active in your community, or contrib- growth of the organization. uting to society on a volunteer basis, is something that is part of our overall wellness—just like healthy eating and regular exercise. Unfortu- What drew you to the RCM-SAR Management team? nately, it is difficult to find the right balance for all of these things, but I met with (RCM-SAR Executive Officer) Stan Warlow for coffee on this has worked out well. Commercial Drive here in Vancouver and we talked a lot about RCM- SAR and some of the strengths the organization has and challenges that What do you bring to RCM-SAR? What skills, it faces. I knew it was something I wanted to be part of. Thus far, the experience and talents do you showcase with RCM- team has been great. SAR? As was mentioned in a previous newsletter, I’ve been fortunate enough What do you hope to achieve for the organization in to work in a variety of organizations, from small entrepreneurial com- your position as HR manager? panies and community organizations to public behemoths, and I’ve also It is still pretty early, so at this point in time, I’m simply trying to learn been able to specialize in areas such as recruitment, labour relations and a bit more about our processes as an organization. Once I’m well versed, compensation. What has always attracted me to opportunities in human I’ll look to see where I can apply myself. resources is the chance to develop or create HR structures or processes

Compass 12 November 2013 Kenny Louie Photo: TRAINING

On September 22 four RCM-SAR coxswains took part in the Be- Grantham) and Station 2 North Vancouver coxswain Dan Wright. yond Cold Water Boot Camp workshop at the HMCS Discovery naval The course was designed to enhance our knowledge and skills on reserve base in Vancouver. The workshop, entitled Cold Water Immer- topics related to cold water immersion including cold physiology, sion: Prevention, Rescue and Treatment, was attended by Station 1 mechanisms of heat loss, thermal protection realities, prevention, triage West Vancouver coxswains Mike Cupit, Chris Simpkins and me (Ian of a hypothermic victim, extraction techniques and the rewarming and Photos: Ian Grantham Ian Photos: TRAINING

packaging of a cold victim for transportation. The instructor was none other than Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht, also known as Professor Popsicle, internationally-acclaimed professor of thermophysiology and one of the leading experts in cold water immer- sion. There were several different land SAR groups from the province represented as well as many fire units and the Vancouver Police Depart- ment (VPD) Marine Unit.

The instructor was none other than Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht, also known as Professor Popsicle, internationally- acclaimed professor of thermophysiology and one of the leading experts in cold T water immersion.

The course was two parts, including both a hands-on component and a lecture component. In the classroom Dr. Giesbrecht taught us about the many myths and realities of being in cold water and its effects on the human body. We then got to try out both recovery and packaging of a victim from the water. His biggest take away was the 1-10-1 principle (details on page 16) which basically states that if you fall into cold water you have: • 1 MINUTE to get your breathing under control, • 10 MINUTES of meaningful movement, and • 1 HOUR before you become unconscious due to hypothermia. We also learned about the different types of heat loss as well as dif- ferent treatment options. Warm sugar-water like hot chocolate is best as the psychological effects of the warm liquid will help the victim but the sugar is what is needed by the body to fuel shivering. Be gentle with any hypothermic victim, keep them as horizontal as possible, dry them

Compass 14 November 2013 TRAINING

off and package them up for transport by Emergency Health Services. Please visit http://beyondcoldwaterbootcamp.com for the full lecture and slides for presentations, as well as more detailed information. Once the lecture portion was done we all went out to the dock and observed demonstrations of various different extraction methods—one- man lift, two-man lift, spine board extraction etc.—demonstrated by the VPD Marine Unit with live volunteers from the group. Mike and Chris were able to demonstrate to the group the proper parbuckling technique so our experience and expertise of on-water rescues was much appreci- ated. With assistance from the VPD Marine Unit, Dr. Giesbrecht attempt- ed to duplicate the drowning of an RCMP member wearing full gear including gun, body armour and no PFD, but he was unable to immerse himself to the point where it was unsafe. We then practiced removing him from the water and packing him for transport and had to carry him the 600 metres back to the lecture hall. All in all it was a great learning opportunity and on behalf of the group that went I would very much like to express our thanks to RCM- SAR for making it happen.

Ian Grantham Station 1 West Vancouver

Dr. Giesbrecht wrapped up for transport

Compass 15 November 2013 TRAINING 1-10-1 Principle

1-10-1 is a simple way to remember the first three phases of cold water immersion and the approximate time each phase takes. If you all of a sudden find yourself in cold water (water less than 15°C) you have:

1 minute to get your breathing under control This stage is called cold shock response and is where more than 90% of drownings occur. It is characterized by an initial deep and sudden gasp followed by hyperventilation that can be as much as 6 to 10 times greater than normal breathing. You must keep your airway clear or run the risk of drowning. The cold shock response will pass in about one minute. During that time concentrate on avoiding panic and getting control of your breathing. Wearing a lifejacket during this phase is critically important to keep you afloat and breathing.

10 minutes of meaningful movement You have 10 minutes of useable muscle movement during this stage, which is called cold incapacitation. Concentrate on self-rescue initially, and if that isn’t possible, prepare a way to keep your airway clear while you wait for rescue. Swim failure is one example of cold incapacitation, and will occur within these critical minutes. If you are in the water without a lifejacket, drowning is likely. You can widen your window of opportunity for rescue by using HELP (heat escape lessening position) and if in a group get close together.

1 hour before you become unconscious due to hypothermia Even in ice water it could take approximately one hour before becoming unconscious due to hypothermia. If you understand the aspects of hypothermia, techniques of how to delay it, self- rescue and calling for help, your chances of survival and rescue will be dramatically increased.

Compass 16 November 2013 TRAINING UPDATE Training Benefits Everyone

Critical Incident Stress Management

Like most other public safety organizations, RCM-SAR recognizes the tremendous benefit of Critical Incident Stress (CIS) management for members who have taken part in particularly demanding or stressful missions. We are pleased that RCM-SAR is partnering with the Justice Insti- tute of BC ( JIBC) to provide an opportunity for members to take their CIS certification to the next level and to increase CIS support to RCM- SAR stations. JIBC will be providing a seven-hour classroom session on the In- troduction to Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM100). This course introduces par- ticipants to the history, CISM100 Course Goals: philosophy, perspec- At the end of this one-day course participants will have a basic under- tives, concepts and standing of critical incident stress and the factors that contribute to it. terms that are integral to critical incident Learning Outcomes: stress management. Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to: The intention is to • define the term stress, continue to offer this • describe what comprises a critical incident, training at various • identify types of critical incidents, locations throughout • distinguish between critical incident stress and traumatic stress, the region and to have • describe the general responses to stress, our own team certified • identify the stages of a critical incident, to provide further CIS • identify the symptoms associated with various possible reactions support. to a disaster,

Compass 17 November 2013 TRAINING UPDATE

• explain the differences between critical incident stress, acute stress training included mechanisms of heat loss, thermal protection realities, disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, triage of the hypothermic victim, extraction techniques, re-warming, • identify factors that increase susceptibility to critical incidents, and packaging for transport and more. It was a good opportunity to spend • describe how our understanding of critical incident stress has time with other SAR personnel to enhance our knowledge and skills for evolved over the last century. dealing with a hypothermic victim. The course was well received by par- ticipants, and the coxswains will be sharing the skills learned with fellow Total Participants: members at their stations. This course was offered by the Canadian Safe Nine coxswains from the Lower Mainland have already participated Boating Council. in this training and a second course will be offered in October in West See page 13 for a first-person account of the course, as told by cox- Vancouver. The JIBC course instructor has also provided two mini les- swain/participant Ian Grantham. sons on Vancouver Island; a total of 33 members attended this training. Safe Boating Council Symposium 2013 Cold Water Immersion Workshop This year’s Safe Boating Council Symposium was held in Whistler the On September 20 four RCM-SAR coxswains participated in the cold weekend of September 23-26. A presentation was made on behalf of water immersion workshop in Vancouver. Topics covered during the RCM-SAR outlining our roles and responsibilities in SAR events and

Compass 18 November 2013 TRAINING UPDATE

maritime safety. We were also involved with a search and rescue panel for an open discussion on search and rescue. Other agencies who were involved included Coast Guard, 442 Squadron and Port Metro Vancou- Bernd WittkowskiPhoto: ver. RCM-SAR SAR Prevention Manager Ron Drewry and Deputy SAR Prevention Manager Cathy Dupuis also attended the symposium—see page 20 for their feedback on the weekend’s events. International Training—International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF)

RCM-SAR coxswains Dennis Chopko (Station 34 Mill Bay) and Kevin Robertson (Station 10 Richmond) recently returned from Ger- many and Finland respectively after taking part in the IMRF’s seven- day European Lifeboat Crew Exchange Programme. This programme, which was piloted last year, brings together volun- teers from nine countries to exchange ideas and experience the training of the host organization. Participants on the exchange experience day and night time exercises such as towing, navigating, man overboard recovery, sea survival training, lifeguard training, recovering boats and helicopter transfers. Skjolden Hakon Photo: Nine European countries participated this year and two of our mem- bers were included as guest attendees with the hope of expanding the programme in the future—RCM-SAR hopes to be a host for the 2014 exchange. With RCM-SAR Director of Training Cheryl Caldwell tak- ing maternity leave in the new year, there is also the possibility that one of the highly-qualified IMRF trainers will fill in for her until her return. Stay tuned for further developments!

Compass 19 November 2013 BOATING SAFETY UPDATE Building the Business of Safe Boating Canadian Safe Boating Council Symposium 2013

RCM-SAR Manager of SAR Prevention Ron Drewry and I attended the Canadian Safe Boating Council’s annual symposium which was held in Whistler from September 21-23. This year’s symposium was entitledBuild - ing the Business of Safe Boating and provided a venue to share experiences and explore best practices to enhance safety on the water. There were approximately 70 participants at the event who represented various boating and water safety organizations from across Canada and the U.S. RCM-SAR Director of Training Cheryl (l to r): Cathy Dupuis, Ron Drewry and Cheryl Caldwell Caldwell represented our organization by giv- ing an excellent presentation outlining who we are and what we do. At the core of the national safety campaign are five key messages for the boating commu- This year’s symposium was entitled Building the nity: Business of Safe Boating and provided a venue to • wear a personal flotation device or life- jacket share experiences and explore best practices to • don’t drink and boat enhance safety on the water. • take a boating course • be prepared (both you and your vessel) T • be aware of the dangers of cold water immersion

Compass 20 November 2013 BOATING SAFETY UPDATE

Vessel Safety Survey As you know, the VSS program offers safety checks for boaters on the water as opposed to Program dockside. This means that crews can boost their sea time while simultaneously providing the pub- lic with these valuable, simple and popular checks. Now that all crews can participate we have the The RCM-SAR Vessel Safety Survey (VSS) opportunity to make the most of the program, which is funded by Transport Canada. program continues its successful run and we If you have any questions or need more of the popular VSS kits, please contact either Ron at encourage all stations to take the opportunity [email protected] or Cathy at [email protected]. We strongly encourage you to to get out on the water and conduct these take advantage of this program for the benefit of your station and the boating public. quick and informal safety checks. We are adding flexibility to the VSS pro- Cathy Dupuis gram to make it easier for crews to participate Deputy Manager, SAR Prevention and for stations to access the funding that comes with the program. We have now re- moved the requirement for a certified plea- sure craft safety checker to be on board when conducting VSS checks. Based on our experiences during the sum- mer, we expect that coxswains, advanced crew and crewmembers will be able to answer most of the questions they may receive from the boating public. We’re putting together some FAQs that will address most of the queries members may receive.

Station 5 Crescent Beach members conduct a vessel safety survey check Station 50 Port McNeill’s boating safety display in Sointula

Compass 21 November 2013 LESSONS LEARNED Kayaker Incident Teaches Both Rescued and Rescuer

A January 26 training scenario involving our two RCM-SAR Station 27 Nanaimo rescue boats and the Station 29 Ladysmith rescue boat in the Dodd Narrows vicinity took an unexpected turn. A Pan Pan was heard on channel 16 from a report by a concerned citi- zen on land who thought she could spot two objects in the water approximately one nauti- cal mile south of Boat Harbour. All three of our boats broke off our planned search train- ing scenario and headed toward the location given in the Pan Pan. En route, about one nautical mile south of Round Island, one of our boats spotted something in the water. We all converged on that area and quickly spot- for both our crewmembers and the kayakers very low as there is very little boat traffic in ted two men waving for assistance. The men involved. The kayakers had an unforgettable this area at that time of the year. Fortunately had been trying to swim to Round Island with first-hand lesson on the dangers of cold water for them a concerned citizen spotted some- their overturned kayak; the tide had changed and hypothermia and the importance of being thing unusual and our stations were training to outflow and was in fact pushing them away properly prepared for cold weather condi- in the area so three RCM-SAR vessels were from the island. Both displayed symptoms of tions. The RCM-SAR crewmembers learned already nearby on the water. hypothermia when taken aboard. They had that non-Mayday calls can still be emergen- Ultimately what could have been a tragedy been wearing life jackets but dressed in light cies—reporting information can at times be had a positive outcome. Lessons learned from clothing and thought they had been in the sketchy and Pan Pan calls may turn out to be this incident may in the future assist with sav- water for 20 minutes or more. We initiated life threatening. The importance of establish- ing lives on the water. hypothermia treatment, retrieved their kayak ing a good lookout was also highlighted, as the and then proceeded to Boat Harbour where kayakers were spotted in the water in a loca- Michael Banning we were met by BC Ambulance Services, who tion that was not expected based on the initial Station Leader, Station 27 Nanaimo took over from us and continued medical as- Pan Pan. sistance. Luck also played a role in this scenario. The This incident had a great conclusion and odds of the kayakers being discovered making provided an excellent learning opportunity the swim to shore in the frigid waters were

Compass 22 November 2013 FINAL WORD A Message from the Vice President

Another successful AGM has come and gone. I would like to take a moment to thank all the members who took the time to attend the AGM and to all the members who were not able to attend but sent in their proxy votes—all votes are important to us. I want to congratulate stations 27 Nanaimo, 37 Sooke and 64 Prince Rupert, who were recognized for crewing the top three missions of the year. As RCM-SAR President Jim Lee said, there were many successful calls this past year and it was extremely difficult to pick just three. One thing that really stood out for me from the missions was the cooperation with other agen- cies that took place.

I also want to say thanks to Executive Officer Stan Warlow and the office staff who always do a great job in organizing the AGM and doing all the little things behind the scenes in order to make the day a great success. Also, huge thanks go out to the management team for their contin- ued commitment to RCM-SAR. Thanks for the many hours you put into your portfolios, which allows all of us to become safer and better trained. Managers Cheryl Caldwell, Ron Drewry, Rick Gonder, Rob Grant and Paul Mottershead deserve a great deal of recognition for their contribu- tions to RCM-SAR. Lastly, a thank you goes to Jim and the rest of the board for continuing to push our organiza- tion. Yes we have challenges, but what organization doesn’t? It’s how we deal with the challenges that really matters—we learn from them and do our best to prevent any future problems. If everyone was to take a moment to sit back and reflect on just how far our organization has come over the last five years it’s truly amazing and something we should all be proud of. As an active coxswain I have never felt so prepared, well trained or safe than I do going out on the water today. Ultimately, that’s what it’s all about—safety of crew, vessel and mission.

Compass 23 November 2013 FINAL WORD

Safety was also front and centre when I had the pleasure of attending the vessel launch of Station 5 Crescent Beach’s new Type I vessel Vigilant II on Saturday, September 21. There was a great turnout that included members, the general public, sponsors, political friends, partnering agencies and past members. The weather was perfect and the ceremony was well-organized and professional. This is the second Type I vessel we have officially We were greeted by Major Hodge from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre and we proceeded into Admiral Truelove’s Woffice. We sat down and I immediately apologized profusely for my attire. Lee were scheduled to attend. I woke up that morning not feeling the greatest as the cold my kids brought home the week before was finally catching up with me. I dressed very casually for work that day and at about 8:20 a.m. I received a phone call from launched in our fleet and it is truly an amazing Stan telling me that due to circumstances beyond his control he was not able to attend this meet- rescue craft. I want to thank Station 5 for their ing and he needed me to stand in. The meeting was set for 1:00 p.m. at CFB Esquimalt on the commitment to RCM-SAR and to the com- Island and by 11:30 a.m. I was in downtown Vancouver waiting at Harbour Air for a flight over munity of Crescent Beach. to Victoria, feeling worse than ever. Jim picked me up on the Victoria side in his sport jacket and I want to finish up with the events of tie (in contrast to my cargo pants and RCM-SAR jacket) and we were off to the Esquimalt base. Wednesday, October 2. A few weeks before We signed in at the first security checkpoint and were picked up in the admiral’s staff car, a this date a request was made from the office of black SUV. Upon arriving at the next security checkpoint we had to lock up our cell phones and Rear-Admiral William Truelove, Commander, were then escorted to the admiral’s office. There we were greeted by Major Hodge from the Joint Maritime Forces Pacific Region, for a meet- Rescue Coordination Centre ( JRCC) and we proceeded into Admiral Truelove’s office. We sat ing with RCM-SAR. Stan Warlow and Jim down in a very casual setting, where I apologized profusely for my attire.

Compass 24 November 2013 FINAL WORD

Admiral Truelove really had only one item on his agenda—he wanted to thank us for our service and he wanted to make sure that we passed on to all of the members of RCM-SAR a sincere thank you for all we do in our com- munities and for maritime search and rescue. He reviews a report every morning of all of the incidents from the previous day and is aware that RCM-SAR resources are out assisting mariners in distress. We spent the next hour discussing our organization (even though the admiral had done his homework and was very familiar with us) and Admiral Truelove really wanted to focus on how he can help us and strengthen our partnership. Major Hodge then took Jim and me down to JRCC for a quick tour before we departed and I was back in Vancouver by 4:30 p.m. It was truly a very positive meeting and the start of a valuable new partnership. My only hope is that I didn’t pass along my cold and weaken our navy, as I know Jim is still giving me the gears for passing it on to him.

Greg Miller Vice President

Compass 25 November 2013 Royal Canadian Marine September 2013 Stats Search & Rescue RCM-SAR Stations 43 Day Missions Night Missions 53 30 Vessels 70 Members 1055

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By Day of Week

Monday: 10 Volunteer Time: Tuesday: 6 Mission Hours Missions 195 = Wednesday: 16 83 357 = Exercise Hours Thursday: 7 535 = Training Hours Friday: 7 People ...... Saturday: 20 Assisted 64 1087 Total Hours Sunday: 17 ...... facebook.com/rcmsar twitter.com/rcm_sar www.RCMSAR.com RESCUE

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