Putting his team on thin ice once every three years is an ideal situation for Andy Muma.
That’s the time frame for search and rescue teams to require re-certification in flat ice rescue, and for the Houston Search and Rescue president, weather, timing and training came together perfectly this winter.
“I always pick the shoulder seasons for the course, where the ice is really bad,” Muma said. “We had terrible ice conditions which were perfect for training. We were able to walk out on the ice, jump up and down and fall through. That created realistic situations.”
The team of 30 volunteers – some certifying for the first time while most re-upped their qualifications – took to the classroom for a day and the chilly top of Irrigation Lake for another in a bid to keep residents safe.
The ice on the lake was just two or three inches deep where the team took turns crawling out to a “subject” who had fallen through the ice, roping them in and then pulling them up onto the same fragile ice.
Training with Raven Rescue, the team tackled rescuing a third party on surfaces such as a lake, pond or river that was completely frozen over. Members gained knowledge and skills to recognize ice-specific hazards and how to perform ice rescues using techniques and specialized equipment.
“It’s really important to this area, there are a lot of people out fishing on the lakes and snowmobiling on the lakes.”
A small but well-trained and organized team, Houston SAR is proficient in all the winter response critical to the region – flat ice, swift water and ground search and rescue. The ice training is key, with fishing and snowmobiling on lakes popular winter pastimes.
While the trained volunteers have all the specific gear, including ropes and flotation devices that make it safer for them as rescuers, they also teach and learn self-rescue.
Over the last couple of years, the group has taken on ice safety training with public school students in the 12 to 14 range.
“If you do fall through the ice, we teach some techniques to self-rescue, or rescue someone else as well,” Muma said. “It’s good to teach good safety habits to the young and then they have them for life.”
The information also naturally spreads to parents, either through their youngsters or by attending the training itself.
When personally heading onto the ice, Muma takes a life-jacket and rope, just in case.
Key safety considerations for anyone include basic ice understanding and weather awareness.
“I rely heavily on what was the weather like for the last week and drilling holes, being able to read the ice that way.”
Local frozen waterway users tend to be responsible, knowing to look for that solid ice. That’s reflected in statistics gathered by BC SAR.
Of 62 incidents recorded last year in the Bulkley Nechako Region – which includes SAR teams in Bulkley Valley, Burns Lake, Fort St. James, Houston and Nechako Valley – there was one flat ice rescue. Five flat ice rescues were recorded across the province, according to BC SAR.
Visit adventuresmart.ca for best practices and tips to stay safe in the outdoors.
