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A search and rescue volunteer was honoured on Saturday for his position in what was one of the crucial harmful rescues ever carried out by volunteers on Vancouver Island.
In December 2020, a person fell into the frigid, fast-flowing waters of Little Qualicum River, simply north of Parksville.
He was heading down the river in direction of a 37-metre (120-foot) waterfall, however managed to cling to the side of a log.
That’s when a group of volunteers from Arrowsmith Search and Rescue (SAR) confirmed up. To drag the person out of the river, SAR supervisor Nick Rivers was lowered into the water via a extremely technical and sophisticated rope system.
“The water was flowing intensely. It’s mind-blowing, actually, the ability the water has,” Rivers advised CHEK Information in 2020. “That water was actually highly effective and actually flowing and I stored getting knocked off.”
He says he was in a position to swim upstream in direction of the person, simply as the person misplaced his grip on the log and commenced flowing down the river in direction of the waterfall.
“He was headed proper for the waterfall, so I jumped after him, swam, and grabbed him,” stated Rivers. “I simply held on as tight as I may whereas the group up high hauled me right into a secure a part of the river on the rope system.”
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Nick Rivers is seen with the person being pulled out of the water. (Submitted)
Rivers described the rescue because the “most intense” one he was ever concerned with, including that if he had let go, the person would have been swept up within the river and down the waterfall.
“It was a reasonably high-risk rescue,” Rivers stated. “It’s a fairly traumatic state of affairs to be in.”
The video of the rescue and CHEK’s 2020 protection will be discovered considered under:
READ MORE: ‘He was headed right for the waterfall’: Man rescued from Little Qualicum River
Governor Basic’s award
The rescue obtained worldwide consideration, and on Saturday, almost 4 years later, Rivers was awarded with the Governor Basic’s Ornament for Bravery for his position within the rescue.
The award is handed out in recognition of “acts of bravery in hazardous circumstances,” reminiscent of potential drownings, burning buildings or car accidents.
“The most important rescue that we as a company have ever had since doing search and rescue work, in 1966 is once we began,” stated Rivers on Saturday after the ceremony. “It was the largest rescue, most intense in some ways.”
He added that it was the rescue of a lifetime and that he’s grateful for the award.
“I really feel very privileged to be honoured that manner,” stated Rivers.
With recordsdata from Nicholas Pescod and CHEK’s Dean Stoltz
Nick Rivers is pictured on the ceremony on April 20, 2024. (CHEK Information)
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