Central Okanagan Search & Rescue
4680 Old Vernon Road Kelowna, BC, Canada

WE NEED YOUR HELP! Central Okanagan Search and Rescue, along with UBCO, and the Ellison Fire Department are holding a food & toy drive at the UBCO campus on Saturday, December 19th. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the lower parking lot (H Lot) off Innovation Drive. ... This will be a no contact event. We ask that you follow the directional signs and either drop your items off in the apple box provided or ask us to come to your vehicle where volunteers in full PPE will happily take them. Please bring nonperishable food, children’s toys and pet food.

It's been a busy year... and as we share this, the team just got tasked out for another call!

Last night COSAR was called to look for a missing male in the La Casa area on Westside Road. Earlier in the day RCMP had conducted a preliminary search but called in searchers around 4:30pm after being unsuccessful. Because of the location, Vernon Search and Rescue was asked to assist. More than 30 searchers eventually took part in the task. We are happy to report the subject was found by a member of the public and returned home late last evening.

If you laid 32,000 beer cans end-to-end they’d stretch 2.94 kilometres. If you crushed them, they’d fill 111 garbage bags. And if you wanted to support your favourite charity, you’d bring those cans to a recycling depot and donate the $3,200 cheque to Central Okanagan Search and Rescue.... Which is exactly what Raymond Imbeau and partner Barbara Kitz did last week. The two spent their summer vacation traveling the 80+ kms of the 201 Forest Service Road from near the Idabel Lake turnoff to Okanagan Falls picking up beer cans. Over the summer the two spent eight weeks camping in the Okanagan backcountry and travelling the 201 on their Can-Am ATV. And every time they saw a can Ray would stab it and put it in a bag. There were days we would fill the bags on the front and back of the ATV, plus Barb, who was riding behind me, would often have a full bag in each hand, said Ray. This is the third year that Ray and Barb have made a donation to COSAR. In 2018 they cashed in 8,000 cans. In 2019 they ended up with 20,000. Barb says Bud Light and Old Milwaukee seem to be the most popular beverages of backcountry slobs. But we're seeing more craft beer. We even found a can for a garlic and basil beer. I mean, what? said Barb. To date Ray and Barb have travelled over 25,000 kilometres on their trusty Can-Am and have donated $5,700 to COSAR. COSAR used the money to help buy a TrailRider wheeled chair to use when extracting an injured subject that can’t walk but doesn’t require a stretcher. They are some of the most generous supporters we have, said COSAR president Dan Schlosser. We rely on fundraising to stay fully operational and this certainly helps.

COSAR members have spent the last couple of days on task with members of other SAR teams from throughout the Province in Manning Park searching for missing hiker, Jordan Naterer. #bcsara

Early Monday morning COSAR was tasked with locating a lost family of off-roaders in the Peachland area. The threea father, daughter and her boyfriendhad gone for a drive to Glen Lake on Sunday afternoon when they failed to return home. A family member spent a frantic night waiting to hear back and search crews were finally called out at 9 a.m. Monday.... As members were heading to the scene and search managers were working to arrange for an aerial search of the area south of the Connector, a team from Peachland Fire & Rescue Services made contact with the group and escorted them to safety. The family did everything right, said search manager Duane Tresnich, explain that the group was forced to spend the night after the battery in their truck died. They were prepared, they stayed with their vehicle, and they had told family members what area they were going to explore. It’s important to note that you do not have to wait 24 hours before reporting a missing person, added Tresnich. If someone is overdue, call 911."

Three calls on Tuesday.

Going out to play this long weekend? Don't forget to follow BC AdventureSmart's 3 Ts to help you stay safe! #Kelowna #RDCO

Our colleagues at North Shore Rescue are featured in an upcoming 5 part TV series! The series airs Nov 10th on Knowledge Network, or you can also stream it on the Knowledge Network website. Great work NSR! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH_FNlPNEJA&feature=youtu.be

It has been a busy long weekend for the team. This afternoon the team was tasked out on two different medical rescues with over lapping time frames, one up Bear Lake Main and one above Peachland. The team has responded to 4 tasks in just over 24 hours. More details to follow. #bcsara #kelowna #peachland #WestKelowna #RDCO