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Wednesday, April 2 • 2014
www.nelsoncu.com
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Vol. 6 • Issue 79
Nelson gymnasts bring home gold Page 18
Tree pruning efforts expand Page 5
EEP SKICIALNTRD EATMENTS
MED y St, Nelson) 601 Kootena ntre Medical Ce (at Kootenay
33 250 352te na2ym2ed .c a sk in de ep @k
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Injured skier rescued on Kootenay Pass
Time to start your garden from seed indoors. We have all the supplies you need, including GMO free seeds
GREG NESTEROFF Nelson Star Reporter
More than just a farmers store
524 Railway St Nelson (250) 352-5375
RHC REALTY 250.352.7252
Independently Owned and Operated
www.rhcrealty.com APRIL SPECIALS Skis, board or bike tune-up only $25 Electric bikes and Scooters sold at cost Rain suits $30 Backpacks 1/2 price Cycle shoes 1/2price Leap out of the box at the Kootenays largest sports store BOOMTOWNSPORTS.COM
510 HALL ST 250-505-5055 MAKING Sports Affordable and RECYCLING since 1996
Musical adventure Local home educated students have been honing their musical theatre skills and are ready to share their latest production with the community. Scheherazade: The Musical Adventure, directed by Allison Girvan and produced by Kate Tait, features a cast of 37 youngsters, ages four to 15. Shows are April 3, 4 and 5 at 4 p.m. daily at the Nelson Covenant Church (702 Stanley Street). Admission is by donation. Sam Van Schie photos
A backcountry skier was rescued Saturday morning off the Kootenay Pass after spending about 20 hours with a painful injury. Nelson Search and Rescue search manager Chris Armstrong said they were paged between 4:30 and 5 p.m. Friday for a medical rescue following an accident “a good ways” in the backcountry. It did not involve an avalanche. A dozen searchers responded, 10 of whom skied in and reached the man by 9 p.m. — due to the time of the call, they weren’t able to fly in by helicopter. Armstrong said the location was “quite severe” and they were prevented from getting the man out because of darkness, snow, and steep terrain. They called for more help and teams from South Columbia and Rossland search and rescue responded. However, due to the conditions they decided to stay the night. Late Saturday morning, members from Kimberley and Castlegar search and rescue joined them as well as Revelstoke, who brought in their long line rescue team to fly the man out to an ambulance. The man had a severe compound tibia fracture just above his ski boot, Armstrong said. “The poor guy spent 20 hours out there... A very painful thing to be put through.” He thought the man was in his 20s but did not know where he was from, nor how many others were in his party. It’s the fourth incident local search and rescue has responded to on the pass this ski season. Armstrong said the accessibility of the area makes it one of their highest sources of call-outs. Ironically, he added, the more media coverage these sorts of rescues receive, the more people seek out that area. “It’s the easiest point of access outside of a ski hill. You can get off the highway, walk for a few minutes and be in fantastic terrain,” he said. “But when you’re doing any form of rescue, the quicker the response the better. The distance to travel to the pass and then get into the backcountry adds up quickly.” Armstrong said in this case, he understands the accident happened around noon but there was a significant delay before they received the call. Had it come sooner and more directly, “we would have been in there with a helicopter and plucked him out. He would have been in a hospital bed within a few hours.” In all, about 30 people responded to the call, with 17 on the first day, including the Nelson contingent. “It’s a huge effort for a Friday night. It’s a lot of people coming from a long way to help an individual,” Armstrong said.
Kids, ride into Spring!
Offering a wide variety of kids bikes! Our serviced department is open for bikes. Dust off your old ride or come on in for a new one. 702 Baker St • 250.354.4622