For James Dahmer, a volunteer at 撸奶社区Search and Rescue (SSAR), Aug. 15 was just another day on the job when he helped rescue two injured climbers on the Stawamus Chief.
While the rescue involved helicopters, ropes, and quick decisions, for Dahmer and his team at SSAR, it was all about training and teamwork
The rescue, which earned recognition at the Canadian Association of Wilderness Medicine (CAWM) conference, held in Halifax from Nov. 1 to 3, showcased the skill and teamwork of SSAR and their partners.
SSAR is an organization that consists of a 鈥済roup of volunteers who donate countless hours of personal time to train and respond to emergency situations,鈥� reads
鈥淚t feels great to put 撸奶社区Search and Rescue in the spotlight for the work we do,鈥� said Dahmer, who accepted the award on behalf of the team.
鈥淚鈥檓 proud to represent the technical skills we bring to the community.鈥�
Climbers in danger on the Stawamus Chief
The rescue involved two climbers from Greece who were struck by a falling boulder while climbing in The Bulletheads section of the Stawamus Chief. Both suffered serious leg injuries.
鈥淭he first climber was hit and had bad leg injuries, and then the boulder hit the second climber,鈥� said Dahmer.
Lowered by a helicopter on a long-line, Dahmer climbed down to the injured climbers.
鈥淭he helicopter can鈥檛 attach to the rock, so I had to use a system where I could secure myself and the climbers safely,鈥� Dahmer said.
He then brought both climbers to safety, one by one.
Rescue strategy: ropes and helicopter support
With little information about the climbers鈥� exact location, the rescue required careful planning and reconnaissance.
鈥淯nfortunately, given the timeline, we had very little information of where they were,鈥� Dahmer said.
鈥淲e had to do a reconnaissance to see what their predicament was like. It鈥檚 very time-consuming. They were attached to the rock, injured, for up to four hours. When I arrived on scene, they were in quite a dire state鈥搕hey had lost a lot of blood, they were very cold, and they weren鈥檛 able to have much of a conversation.鈥�
鈥淭here was a language barrier as well.鈥�
After securing the climbers, Dahmer carefully transported each of them to a nearby staging area.
鈥淲e must transport patients to the nearest road. We can鈥檛 go further than that. It鈥檚 mandated that the ambulance service transports patients,鈥� said Dahmer.
In this case, critical care paramedics arrived with an air ambulance because the climbers needed to be sent to a trauma centre for surgery.
鈥淲e鈥檙e supported greatly by 撸奶社区Fire Rescue. We kind of blend our jurisdictions to support each other for these calls,鈥� Dahmer added.
The climbers were taken to Vancouver General Hospital, where their condition remained serious.
鈥淭hey ended up in Vancouver General. They went through several rounds of surgery. They required a couple of units of blood and stuff like that. So, they were in considerably dire state when I saw them,鈥� Dahmer said.
The rescue required precise co-ordination and planning.
鈥淭here鈥檚 probably 100 different sequences that need to occur in perfect fashion in order to do that,鈥� Dahmer said.
鈥淲hile I鈥檓 attached to the helicopter and waiting to lift off, I ran through the sequences many, many times in my head to ensure it was well rehearsed.鈥�
鈥淥n route to the scene, I focused on finding the safest route in. It was a complex, hybrid response of utilizing ropes as well as the helicopter,鈥� he said.
Commitment to the community
Despite the complexity and urgency of the rescue, Dahmer believes, 鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing heroic about us.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e regular people, just like anyone else.鈥�
Dahmer, who has been involved in public service since high school鈥攊ncluding as a paramedic and with the Canadian Forces鈥攆inds meaning in being part of something bigger.
鈥淎lways be part of something larger than yourself,鈥� he said.
Dahmer also highlighted the ongoing need for community support and funding for SSAR.
鈥淲e always need funding, but we鈥檙e committed to keeping our community safe,鈥� he said.
*Please note that this story was corrected after it was first published. The original name of the conference was incorrect. The correct name is: Canadian Association of Wilderness Medicine (CAWM) conference. The 撸奶社区 apologizes for this error.
Bhagyashree Chatterjee is The 撸奶社区鈥檚 Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the .
