Editor,
Every once in a while, something happens that restores your faith and trust in humanity. This is one such occasion.
On Monday May 24th, I walked my Rotti/Shepherd cross to Baker Falls, something we do frequently throughout the year. Well upstream from the falls, my dog decided he needed a drink and before I could stop him, he was swept away and over the falls. It seemed forever before he surfaced in the roiling water beneath the falls and he was immediately carried into an eddy pool that was covered in a meter thick layer of foam. It took several minutes before he made it out of the eddy, clambering onto some slippery rocks, covered in foam.
He was reluctant to make a leap which would have enabled him to gain access to the river bank on the far side and reluctantly, I had to leave him and seek help. The only people who could help were trained Search & Rescue people, so I initiated a search through the RCMP. The 911 operator informed me that since it was for a dog, it was unlikely that QSAR would respond. I told her that having been a SAR Team Leader and Swift Water Rescue trained myself, I knew what my team would have done - they would have responded to the request, accepting the mission as a public service.
The RCMP got the ball rolling and Quesnel Search & Rescue personnel were alerted. In the meantime, I returned home to get a chainsaw and loppers to clear windfalls and brush from the trail head to the falls. When I got back to the site, there was no sign of my dog and I presumed that he had attempted to gain higher ground, was swept away and drowned. A local resident, Sheila Gibbons had agreed to act as liaison with the RCMP and QSAR and lead them to the falls and I decided to tell them to stand down.
I found the assembled team at Sylvia’s Cafe and gave them my assessment of the situation. The Search Master decided that the team would proceed to the site and see what could be done. Much earlier that day, they had just returned from a training mission in the United States, but they turned out with the full resources they would deploy for the rescue of a person - the Command Post vehicle, two 4x4 off road trucks, a quad with trailer and all the gear for swift water rescue.
While the team got organized at the trail head, Sheila Gibbons walked in to the falls. When the team arrived, she told us that my dog was alive and well on the other side of the river. The team went into action, gearing up and establishing the required safety protocol to put a member into the river upstream. In due course, a zip line was in place and a member safely across. A second member also made the crossing to assist in calming the dog, gaining his trust with treats and getting him prepared for the crossing, complete with a dog flotation jacket.
First one member made the return crossing, followed by the second member with my dog on a lead. By this time, my wife had arrived at the site, having learned of the incident from Sheila’s husband. It was a happy moment.
We are very grateful for the dedication and professionalism of the Quesnel Search & Rescue Team. Great people doing great work. We are lucky to have them as part of our community.
Todd Birch
Baker Creek, B.C.