A trio of south Island rescue groups are better prepared after a series of rescue scenarios in some of the busiest coastal B.C. harbours.
Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCMSAR) Station 37 in Sooke recently tackled training sessions on the Kongsberg simulator alongside members from sister stations based in Oak Bay and Victoria.
Kongsberg Digital offers a range of advanced maritime simulators that offer highly realistic training environments, replicating various maritime scenarios with accurate visuals and sounds, the Sooke group explained on social media.
The training simulators are used by organizations such as BC Ferries and the Canadian Navy.
“We ran simulated courses through high-traffic areas like Vancouver and Victoria harbours, Lions Bay, Swartz Bay, Trial Island, and Baynes Channel. The simulator is unbelievably realistic – both the visuals and sounds are exactly what you’d experience on a search and rescue vessel in those areas,” the post reads.
“Even though the superstructure does not move, the visuals and other cues will make you feel like you’re on a real boat – sometimes trainees even get seasick.”
Training at the RCMSAR headquarters in East Sooke included night navigation through complex waterways and a simulated night rescue for survivors of an overturned boat in Vancouver Harbour.
“The realism was unmatched, recreating conditions we’d face on the water, from high winds and steep waves to swell, fog and more.”
The three volunteer search and rescue groups, and two others based Sidney and Brentwood Bay, provide 24/7 emergency response every day of the year on the south Island.
There are more than 30 stations across the coast. Learn more at rcmsar.com.
