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The Invermere
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2014
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June 11 Vo l .
Meet the new faces of the summer season
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DRAGONFLY DETAIL
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BERNIE RAVEN CHRIS RAVEN 1-866-598-7415 TEAMRAVEN.CA Offices in Panorama, Invermere & Fairmont
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Restoration work continues at Lake Enid
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Maxwell Realty Invermere
PUBLICATIONS MAIL REGISTRATION NO. 7856
A dragonfly takes a well-deserved break on the handy finger of photographer Kristian Rassmuseen while he was fishing at Echo Lake on Saturday, June 7th. PHOTO BY KRISTIAN RASSMUSSEN
Paraglider, infant rescued in two separate incidents DAN WALTON dan@invermerevalleyecho.com Two lives were saved in the valley last week after two separate rescue operations took place on Mount Swansea in Windermere and then on Dutch Creek in Fairmont Hot Springs. Both rescues required victims to be flown by helicopter to the Invermere Hospital, and a subsequent airlift to Calgary. On Sunday, June 1st, an experienced hang gliding pilot was learning how to paraglide during a lesson with Flying Max, owned and operated by Windermere resident Max Fanderl. Before the incident, the paragliding pilot, Jamie Hurschler, was atop Mount Swanswea preparing for takeoff. His wing had been properly checked, said Mr. Fanderl, but a slight hesitation during the launch caused half of the wing to give way, forcing Mr. Hurschler
to drop onto a rocky patch of the moun“He had a lot of help, (his) compantain twenty metres below the launch. ions had accessed him and stabilized “Just before he actually became air- his position so he wouldn’t slide down borne, there was kind of a hesitation, the hill any further,” said Panorama which made him slow down and go deputy fire chief and Columbia Valley back, but the wing continued forward,” Search and Rescue manager Martin Mr. Fanderl said. “The wind picked him Caldwell, who led the Columbia Valley up and carried him, but at the same Search and Rescue team that attended time one part of the the incident. He dewing collapsed.” scribed the injuries Like anything else The crash caused as serious. you do, whether Mr. Hurschler to Golden and Disbreak his pelvis, mountain biking or driving, trict Search and Reswhich required a he- sometimes there is risk for cue Association’s licopter lift to safely Helicopter External a small little error. remove him from MAX FANDERL Transport Systems FLYING MAX OWNER/PILOT long-line the mountainside. A rescue miscommunication team was needed, with dispatch led Mr. Hurschler to wait said Mr. Caldwell. The long line team atthree and a half hours on the top of tached Mr. Hurschler to the helicopter Swansea, according to Mr. Fanderl. Be- before flying to the Invermere hospital. fore emergency crews had arrived, Mr. From there, he was flown to Foothills Fanderl and other gliders tended to Mr. hospital in Calgary. Hurschler to stabilize his position. It was the first accident atop Mount
VJ (Butch) Bishop Owner/Operator 4846 Holland Creek Ridge Rd. Invermere, BC V0A 1K0
Swansea in Mr. Fanderl’s 20 years flying in the area, according to Mr. Fanderl. “Like anything else you do, whether mountain biking or driving, sometimes there is risk for a small little error,” he said. Wind conditions at the time were around 10 kilometres per hour, which Mr. Fanderl said is favourable for gliders. Three days later on Wednesday, June 4th, Mr. Caldwell led a second search and rescue operation in the valley. Shortly before 2 p.m., Columbia Valley RCMP were contacted about an infant who had become separated from her mother during a float down Dutch Creek in Fairmont Hot Springs, after the dinghy capsized. The one-year-old female victim was carried out of sight by a strong current down the creek. She was fortunately wearing an infant-sized personal floatation device. The victim’s mother, from Radium Hot See A3
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