ICBC donates $10,000 to Hope, B.C. rescue team

ICBC presented a $10,000 cheque recently to a search and rescue team in Hope, B.C. to help replace the community’s Jaws of Life, the Hope Standard reported recently.
According to the newspaper, a thief had stolen the team’s search and rescue vehicle and $104,000 worth of equipment. Also missing were avalanche victim locaters, flashlights, a generator, hacksaws and pry bars.
Although the vehicle was eventually recovered in Surrey, B.C., two sets of Jaws of Life remained missing. The Jaws are generally used to rescue victims trapped during vehicle collisions.
“Search and rescue volunteers in Hope perform crucial wilderness and car crash rescues in the Fraser Canyon and surrounding area,” added Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General John Les, in a press release. “They help save lives and [ICBC’s] donation will help to ensure that they can continue that valuable work.”
The Hope Standard reported the stolen equipment was not insured due to a mix-up in paperwork. The news prompted ICBC to help with a cheque, which will be used to purchase a pipe required to make the Jaws of Life work.
“This donation is in recognition of the work that you do… for all the travellers in this region, Darcy Gorchynski, ICBC’s regional director for the Fraser Valley, told the Standard. “This location is such a vital link for the entire country.”
Many people and groups throughout the region have been stepping up to aid the volunteer group, including a major donation from Duke Energy.