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Rescue calls surge in Squamish as summer activity increases

A new operations base under construction near the airport is expected to help ease logistical challenges for SSAR as they deal with an increased volume of rescue missions.
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SAR crews on one of their many recent calls. This one was for a downed paraglider on the Stawamus Chief on Saturday.

Although the summer season is typically the busiest for Squamish Search and Rescue (SSAR) volunteers, this year has proven even more demanding so far.

As of the end of day Sunday, July 27, the local agency had fielded 76 callouts so far this year, versus 67 the same time last year and 60 the year prior, according to Nils Robinson, a SSAR manager. 

This represents an increase of approximately 15%.

Between Thursday, July 24 and Saturday, July 26, rescuers were called out 11 times.

From Friday night to Sunday night, they were called out five times. 

Robinson said most of the calls were for people with injuries.

“And a lot of them were high acuity calls,” Robinson added, meaning that the injuries were serious or more complex.

The injured and those with them did the right thing in handling their emergency, according to Robinson.

“They all made the right choice in calling for help early and staying where they were until help arrived,” he said. 

The types of activities leading to injuries varies, Robinson said.

“We saw an uptick in mountain bike calls over the prior weeks, likely as a result of the temperatures moderating and more people getting out to ride again after the very hot weather,” he said.

A larger SAR facility will help

A new base is being built for Squamish SAR near the airport, and Robinson noted the larger facility will especially help when the team is faced with such high call volumes.

“The new base will help us greatly with gear and vehicle management and allow us to respond quicker,” he said. “Our current location is a bit small for our needs and requires us to move vehicles around. Thursday night was an extra challenge as our older rescue truck was out for urgent maintenance for the week and necessitated having to pull together the required gear for the technical response from our stored cache. Usually, it is all on board the rescue truck and ready to go.”

SSAR's lease for its current base near Brennan Park ends in July 2026 and the aim is to have the organization moved into the first phase of the new base in the spring of 2026. 

Call early

As for the August long weekend coming up, Robinson said the advice for the many who will be heading outdoors in the Sea to Sky Corridor includes following the three Ts: trip planning, training and taking the essentials.

“Call 911, call early and then stay put until rescuers arrive,” he added. “Also, know that SAR will be trying to contact you via the method you called for help. So answer your phone, respond to our texts and if using a satellite SOS feature to call for help, check for messages regularly.”

Financial and in-kind donations help support this local non-profit organization, including the construction of the new base. Go to the Squamish SAR website for more information.