Juan de Fuca Search and Rescue, along with support from the Alberni Valley Rescue Squad, rescued an outdoor enthusiast on Friday (Aug. 16) near Sombrio Beach on the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail.
According to the B.C. Search and Rescue Association, the trail is third in B.C. for volume of search and rescue calls, and Juan de Fuca SAR says they are extra busy over the summer months.
"It's this time of year again when there's so many people who use that trail and it's so accessible from Victoria," said Victoria Clarke, coordinator for the Juan de Fuca SAR. "It's a challenging trail. It may be underestimated at times by people who undertake the hike."
On Friday, a helicopter team successfully landed near the trail, where the subject had sustained an upper limb injury and was then flown to Jordan River and handed over to an Emergency Health Services crew.
Clarke also mentioned the team responded to another call in the same area on Sunday, Aug. 11. In May, Black Press Media reported 17 volunteers from Juan de Fuca and Metchosin rescue teams carried a stretcher in a four-hour trek through the trail to rescue a hiker.
Clarke says hikers should do their research before embarking on the trail as it is muddy, uneven and slippery in some sections. She also said hikers should be well prepared with footwear and hiking poles, as well as weather-appropriate gear.
