North Shore Search & Rescue - The Heroes of
the 2004 Knee Knacker
by Greg White
Five times I have started Knee Knacker but it was not until I worked as a volunteer did I realize that the true heroes of the Knee Knacker are the North Shore Search & Rescue Team that are assigned to be our guardian angels for race day. On race day most of the runners never see any of the 12 dedicated North Shore Search & Rescue Team, but they are there at every stage of the race and cover all 30 miles, and sometimes more, to protect the lives of the runners.
This past Saturday July 10, my volunteer job was to make certain that every runner made it through the 4 major checkpoints and to account for every runner. From the initial head count at Eagle Ridge to the finish line at Deep Cove, I was communicating with Tim Jones, the day's leader of the NSSR team. Teams of NSSR members followed the last runner along with the course sweepers to give medical aid to any runner in distress. Each of the NSSR team members carried a medical supply backpack. One of the NSSR team members started in Eagle Ridge and ran the whole course to Deep Cove. His only deviation was to initiate the Search Team for a last runner on Hollyburn.
When one of our runners got lost on Hollyburn Mountain, the NSSR team initiated an immediate full scale search. Even with 10 team members in the search party and members of the Hollyburn Mountain rangers, it was a full 90 minutes until the lost runner was located and lead safely back. I sat with Tim Jones during this time at Cleveland Dam while he directed his search team. I was impressed as he explored every avenue at his disposal. He gathered medical information, emergency contact information and a physical description of the lost runner and communicated that information to the search team. At 60 minutes into the search, West Vancouver Police were informed that there was a lost runner. The runner's family was contacted to determine if the runner had abandoned the race and contacted them. I was also there when Tim Jones got the radio call that the runner was found and safe. Tim immediately contacted the family and police that the search was successful.
As a participant in Knee Knacker, you may never know that the
NSSR Team put in over 150 volunteer man-hours on race day. They are the heroes
of Knee Knacker. It makes me proud to know that proceeds from the race go back
to support North Shore Search & Rescue.