last week -- a more grounded review

A quick note to fill in a few blanks from last week's post. First, I am getting back to my normal self as the emotional strain from last week is releasing itself.

The search was one of the roughest I've experienced. Looking for two teenagers, suspecting the worst while hoping it is only a prank, has its toll. In addition, it was a high-profile search: our staging area was swarming with media, family, friends, and curious onlookers. It was also my first time being involved in the management side of a real search. On Wednesday, I was on site from 4:30 am until 10:45 pm, dealing with search management issues.

Throughout my years working on the search team, I have learnt that I am often proficient at blocking out emotions during these events. This allows me to think and act calmly. Essentially, I hide in an objective "shell" and guard myself from emotions during the event. Though I hate to say it in such cold language, it can almost feel like I am playing a game at times. In many ways, this is an advantage for the lost person. While it does not remove the sense of urgency from the event, it allows for clear thinking and (hopefully) sound judgement. A sense of responsibility, rather than one of frantic compassion, ensures thoroughness and efficiency of one's actions. I believe that this response is enhanced by the training. Having practised what to do, over and over, one's mind is able to focus on the actual doing.

When the search is over, however, the reality of the outcome -- especially if it is a negative one -- begins to percolate into my thinking. Last week, instead of slowly removing my protective shell, it was smashed violently by the reality around me. Suddenly it was over. Family and friends, dozens of them, were consoling each other in front of the media and other onlookers. The fire department had counsellors helping them handle their grief. Paramedics were present, monitoring those who were responding to the news more traumatically. Onlookers gathered to watch the body bags be transferred from the boats to the trucks. The medical examiner was milling around in search of the that site, since it was at a different location than the staging area of the search. I found myself watching all this, walking around, wanting to help, but knowing that there were trained and qualified people already doing that, and realizing that I would be in the way. I did not want to stare, but I did not want to do nothing either. There was still plenty to do on site, however, and it did not take long for a fury activity to return to the site. As it turned out, it was not until about 3 hours after the conclusion that I got home, was able to stop, and shed my first tear.

That brief pause that I took to look around me, however, the snap-shot of hysteria and realization, still engulfs for brief moments. In the last few days, it has been the processing of those images that has occupied my thoughts. The hard part is knowing not to ignore these impulses of emotion, and to deal with them and talk about them. For this, I am express immeasureable gratitude to Allie, without whom such traumatic events would be too much to handle.

...

Today, after having had a few days to consider what happened, I am starting to feel better. The search community, which included the fire department, the police department (both municipal and federal), the Department of Natural Resources, and volunteer search teams from across the province, performed exceptionally well together. Everybody was concerned and wanted to find the missing teenagers, nobody was doing anything for their ego. We did the best we could and gave all we could, which made the initial internal response harsh. Everyone is aware, however, that there is nothing we could have done to change the outcome. This was a traumatic event for two families, a community of young individuals, and local society, and we did what we could to alleviate that trauma.

The funerals for the two boys will be held today. While I cannot attend, I will be thinking of them, their family, and their peers.

a very long week

On Tueday afternoon, I got a call from SAR. For about 38 of the following 54 hours, I was responding to that call. Without getting into details now, the result was a tragic one. It has been a taxing few days for all involved in the search effort, but the thoughts and prayers go the families and friends of the two teenagers. No child deserves their fate.

one tough cookie

This is an amazing story which, as the internal training officer on our SAR team pointed out, demonstrates why we always do shoreline searches after a water-related mishap.

On a related note, here's a photo of me igniting a hand-held flare in a recent training exercise:What? You can't tell that's me? Well, here's one where my colleagues are having too much fun bandaging me up:

so what does this motion do?

... A day in the life of Mr. Speaker ...

RESOLUTION NO. 2149 - Tuesday, March 27, 2007

HON. CAROLYN BOLIVAR-GETSON: Mr. Speaker, I hereby give notice that on a future day I shall move the adoption of the following resolution:

... Okay, so just to make sure this is clear, this isn't the actual resolution but only a motion to vote on the resolution at some time in the future ...

Whereas we were all relieved to hear that a missing boy, only two and one-half years old, had been found in the woods near Moser River just before dark last night after being lost for more than four hours; and

... sniff tearful intro, but hey, that's why we do it, right? ...

Whereas family members were quickly joined by volunteers, including the Sheet Harbour and area ground search and rescue team, with several other volunteer teams also on the way to the area; and

... yes, the volunteers did great, and deserve a nod ...

Whereas a potential tragedy was avoided due to the prompt response and coordination among ground search and rescue, the RCMP, our own Emergency Management Office, paramedics, volunteer firefighters and the Natural Resources helicopter crew;

... Oh, this is building nicely. Quite the crescendo, and now we're at the climax. Could this be for additional funds many SAR teams across the province desperately need? Finally!??? ...

Therefore be it resolved that all members of the House join the Tibert family of Moser River and acknowledge the life-saving efforts of those who helped return the boy to his family last night, cold and wet, but otherwise in good health.

Mr. Speaker, I request waiver of notice.

... oh, well acknowledgement is good too, but why include the "cold and wet, but otherwise"? Doesn't that kind of sound defeating? ...

MR. SPEAKER: There has been a request for waiver.

Is it agreed?

It is agreed.

Would all those in favour of the motion please say Aye. Contrary minded, Nay.

The motion is carried.

So what does this motion do? Anyone out there know? It's flattering and all, but not I'm sure what the point could possibly be other than PR for the MPPs who couldn't make it out to Moser River and kiss the toddler as he was being rescued. Hopefully, it's building to something. Maybe a record of such resolutions so that when it comes time to increase the funding there's something to lean on... Maybe. But I'm not holding my breath on that.

(Please excuse my cynicism. It's been a long week.)

SAR Interview

About a week ago, I mentioned a crazy Search and Rescue story. At the time, an interview from CBC radio was unavailable. Well, now it is.

And also, as more of an update, a letter from the rescued man.

Rescue on Mount Seymour, BC

Last week on CBC Radio's Sounds Like Canada, I heard an interview with Tim Jones (See February 1st - I have asked CBC if they will be making that interview available but have not yet heard back. I will post a link to the interview if it becomes available).

The interview gives a first person recount of a somewhat remarkable rescue by North Shore Rescue in Vancouver, which actually got them a lot of press. I was so taken by the story, I wanted to find other recounts of it. I found one on the team blog. (A SAR team with a blog? And one of the busiest teams in the country, too?? Maybe we should do that...)

I'm not going to cut and paste from the story because the whole thing is just amazing. As a teaser, it involves 1000' falls, helicopter rescues, collapsing shelters in poor weather, and searchers surviving avalanches. Our team has an expression, "the harder you train, the luckier you get". Though the narrator of this story is a little modest, it is clear that this team didn't just get lucky on this one.

I thought of joining North Shore Rescue many years ago when I lived in Vancouver, but after reading their site I realized I wasn't their ideal candidate since I had no mountaineering experience. This story confirms that thought.

Amazing Rescue

Wow!

Some quick thoughts:

Never give up (as the searcher or the searchee). Attitude is everything in these scenarios. Chances are that if this woman had given up, she would not have been found alive.

Lost people almost always travel further than you intuitively expect. For that reason, proper SAR techniques (which are used in surprisingly few places) will use past statistics to allocate search resources.

It's always an emergency, even after 3 weeks. Though she was in decent shape when the brothers came across her, she was severely hypothermic when the rescuers got to her. It's probably a good thing that the rescuers flew in as soon as they could.