North Shore Rescue

North Shore Rescue is a non-profit organization dedicated to wilderness search and rescue around Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It consists of a team of approximately 40 volunteers who perform an average of 79 search and rescue operations each year, mostly in the rugged, steep, and thickly forested North Shore Mountains. North Shore Rescue assists hikers, skiers, snowshoers, mountain bikers, and others who are reported to be lost or in distress. It also provides education on mountain safety, and some services in urban search and rescue.

North Shore Rescue formed in September 1965, originally with the intention of preparing to assist in the event of an urban nuclear attack by the Soviet Union. After the threats of the Cold War subsided, the group transitioned to wilderness search and rescue tasks. The team has since been involved in more than 1000 mountain search and rescue operations. Injuries or deaths were involved in approximately 25% of calls. As extreme sports and other wilderness activities have become more popular in the region, the need for rescues has risen dramatically, with call volume tripling between 1995 and 2005.

North Shore Rescue volunteers respond at the discretion of police, often after family members or friends call 9-1-1 to report that someone has failed to return from an outing in the mountains. Because the North Shore Mountains are very close to Vancouver, the dangers of their terrain and weather are often underestimated. Underpreparation and recklessness are factors in many incidents.

In addition to searching on foot, the team sometimes uses a Helicopter Flight Rescue System, in which a volunteer is lowered from a helicopter via a rope to evacuate a stranded and/or injured person.

The team has an annual budget of approximately $250,000, which covers team equipment, fuel, and medical supplies. Its budget is covered in part by government funding, however the organization also relies on fundraising and private donations. All operations are provided free of charge to the lost or injured persons involved. The group's position is based in the belief that charging for rescues could encourage people to delay in calling for assistance, and even occasionally lead to subjects hiding from rescuers in order to avoid being charged.

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