FINANCIAL AID FOR FOOD BANK Valley First presents cheque to Cawston Food Bank See page 3
LIBRARY CONTEST
HOOD BENDER
Literacy program offers book award contest See page 8
Motorists fall prey to intersection See page 5
Review E H
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www.keremeosreview.com PM Agreement #40012521
Vol.15 Number 4
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Serving the communities of Keremeos, Cawston, Okanagan Falls and Kaleden
$1.15 including HST
Icy dip for rescue personnel Clearing skies just in time for Saturday’s ice water session
By Steve Arstad news@keremeosreview. com Several members from area search and rescue teams, along with two local fire departments took part in ice rescue exercises at Yellow Lake this weekend. T h e w e e ke n d course followed a similar session that took place two weeks ago at the popular ice fishing lake. The classes were taught by instructors from Rescue Canada, a private company out of Chilliwack that specializes in water rescue techniques. Four instructors from the company trained 19 students o n t h e w e e ke n d during an exercise that involved three hours of classroom instruction followed by a couple of hours on the ice at Yellow
Lake on Saturday, January 19. The students returned for more practical instruction on the lake on Sunday. Master Rescue Instructor Michael Stegemann said that the lake had excellent ice conditions on the weekend, compared to the class two weeks ago, when the lake had just begun to freeze. On Saturday, the ice was eight inches thick, with a well consolidated slush layer underneath. The group c h a i n s aw e d t w o roughly 10 by 10 foot Photo by Steve Arstad holes in the ice, and the class took turns practicing self and Keremeos Volunteer Firefighter Evin Hartfield gives “thumbs up” after climbing out of Yellow Lake on Saturday. Hartfield (along rope rescue tech- with fellow KVFD firefighter Tim Cottrill (in the water) joined 17 other rescue personnel in ice rescue training at the lake on niques on Saturday, the weekend. Third party rescue training followed on priate equipment, or (PFD). an exercise in insan- Kyle Fosset, a mem- ally quickly follow.” Sunday. Members of the S t u d e n t s w e r e ity quickly became ber of the Oliver an awareness of self “People who fall rescue techniques, equipped with rescue a unique adventure Osoyoos SARteam Keremeos Volunteer through the ice can the inability to move gear which included for the students, who who had taken the Fire Department, survive 45 minutes to once immersed in survival dry suits. Af- happily - and com- course previously The Penticton Fire an hour in the water,” the freezing water is ter some initial trepi- fortably, apparently and was observing Department, Oliver Stegemann pointed the greatest threat. dation, the class took - plunged into Yellow Saturday’s session. Osoyoos Search and out, “the issue is in- Stegemann said that to the two ice holes, Lake over and over “Firefighters tend to Rescue and Penticcapacitance from the the best precaution each one taking turns again. be the first respond- ton Search and Rescold, which can hap- ice fishers could take jumping into the “It takes about 15 ers on scene for an cue all sent members pen in five minutes or is to wear a person- frigid water. What minutes to get all the ice rescue. The SAR to participate in the less.” Without appro- al floatation device intitially looked like gear on,” explained teams would gener- weekend training.