BC search-and-rescue volunteers consider quitting after lost

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Some search and rescue teams in British Columbia have stopped operating and others are looking at packing it in over concerns they may not have insurance against being sued.

Golden and District Search and Rescue has told provincial authorities it is suspending service after a Quebec skier named it in a lawsuit last month.

Gilles Blackburn is seeking damages from the Golden search and rescue team, as well as the RCMP and Kicking Horse Resort, after he and his wife spent nine days lost in the wilderness. He claims the three organizations didn't do enough to save him and his wife, who later died.

Click to expand...

Golden Search and Rescue suspends services amid legal liability concerns
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Golden ... story.html

BC search-and-rescue volunteers consider quitting after lost skier files lawsuit
http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/canada/ ... es-lawsuit

To recap:

* The couple checked out of the hotel without notifying staff he was going into the back-country.
* Since they were taking a taxi to the airport, there was no car left in the parking lot to suggest there was a lost skier.
* They didn't register with the ski hill, tell anyone of back-country plans, route destination or return dates.
* They expressly went out-of-bounds despite knowing the dangers (or did they?).
* They failed to pack even the most basic kit. No food, shelter, candles, map, compass or emergency gear.

Mr. Blackburn's wife died, he is grieving. Suing is not the answer. I hope this case is quashed very, very aggressively by the courts.

No idea for the subtle differences in Canadian law, though I would agree that it's about attempting to assuage his loss by blaming someone else for some really poor decision making on his part.

Another 2 key points for your list of highlights includes one for each side:

* After creating visible SOS patterns in the snow the couple would nearly immediately move on instead of 'hug a tree' next to them. They ended up covering a couple dozen miles (in a rough circle no less) while leaving SOS signs at 4 different locations (I think it was 4, maybe only 3).
* RCMP, Resort and SAR all essentially refused responsibility/initiative for checking out any of the SOS signs for days.

Food points. Unfortunately, if they had stuck by an SOS they would likely have been spotted. My understanding is that the SOS's were not spotted by potential rescuers,they were spotted by helicopter pilots doing other business. Then the RCMP were not notified until after the second sighting and SAR were not notified by the RCMP at all.

I'm not familiar with SAR operations, but I would think it's a tough call to crank up choppers and people, etc. because of an SOS in the snow report, with no sign of people, and no indication someone may be out there or not.