BBQ fundraiser will support Search and Rescue efforts in region

The Wood River Search and Rescue group would like to help make the Southwest a safer place through their search and rescue efforts.

Members of the Wood River Search and Rescue will be hosting a fundraising BBQ at Swift Current’s Walker Place on Saturday, May 4 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Wood River Search and Rescue has been in existence for 19 years and they are a chapter of the Search and Rescue Saskatchewan Association of Volunteers. They are based in Gravelbourg, but have 10 members in communities raining from Vanguard to Shamrock and Coderre, Mossbank and Assiniboia, along with Lafleche.

Group President Tracey Lagasse highlighted that during their BBQ in Swift Current they will be holding a Hug-a-tree and Survive demonstration. The program has been running for nearly four decades, and the success of the session has helped it spread to over 80 countries.

“We know it works. There have been kids located and they were in fairly good condition. They said we had Hug A Tree in school, or we had Hug A Tree training in Scouts,” Lagasse explained.

Hug-a-tree has four key messages.

“Always tell somebody where you’re going, and that’s not true just for kids its true for everybody. Tell somebody where you’re going and when you expect to be back.”

“The second key message is if you’re lost, stop and hug a tree. Because if you keep going, you’re already lost, you already don’t know where you are, so you just end up being often further away from where you’re expected. And then the panic sets in,” she said. “In other words stop and find some shelter, there’s lots of natural things that can help to protect you.”

“The third key message is keep warm and dry. So we encourage people to have extra clothing with them, especially in bright colours…and to wrap up in a foil emergency blanket.”

“The fourth key message is help searcher’s by answering their calls. When we’re out there we’re often yelling or we’re blowing a whistle or yelling your name,” she said. “You hear people yelling your name, it’s not that we’re angry. We’re just trying to be really loud so you can hear us and that you can answer us. And we encourage them to blow a whistle three times. Three whistle blasts is an international sign of distress.”

All children taking part in the demonstration will receive a foil emergency blanket and a whistle. They will also be handing out information for parents on how they can help reduce the chances of children going missing. But if a child does go missing, parents should know some basic information to assist searchers in finding them faster.

Additionally, when adults are out on outdoor activities they should also let people know where they are going and to take these simple supplies with them.

The BBQ will also be an awareness raising event in order to attract more volunteers. She notes there used to be groups in Shaunavon and Swift Current, so they are hoping to see a group re-form in one of these communities.

“We are hoping to get a little bit more momentum going in the Southwest corner and maybe get another group started up.”

“So we’re hoping that by coming out, and showcasing what we have and talk about what we do, people who might be interested in volunteering their time to something like this, we might be able to get something going a little bit closer to home for them.”

For additional information about becoming a Ground Search and Rescue volunteer email woodriversar@gmail. com or call Tracey at 306-6487259.