Quebec paramedics refused to help dying Maine man after snowmobile crash, brother says

"Canadian_Mind" said
If you aren't willing to wait for the right emergency services to come get you, figure out your own plan for getting him out of the woods.

"andyt" said
IT's a very confusing story. They say the paramedics were "3 minutes" away but refused to come. Yet the distance was 3km. It took a sled 15 minutes to cover that distance, it would take the paramedics walking in the snow who knows how long to cover it. They had to dig out a sled from a snowbank, yet obviously had other sleds available to take the guy to the paramedics in the first place. Even if the paramedics had gone to the scene, there's a limit to what they can do at the site, they'd still need to transport the guy to the ambulance.

Somebody wasn't thinking here.

"andyt" said
IF the trail was good enough for the ambulance to drive down, they would have. They were stopped on the road by the trail head, 3 km away from the accident scene. Don't see how an ambulance could drive thru snow deep enough for snowmobiles.

On March 1st 2016 at our AGM, we were lucky enough to have Penticton Search and Rescue (PenSAR) give us a quick briefing on what to do in an emergency. Thank you to Mike Porter and Drew Kuchta for attending and sharing with us this worthwhile information.

Just remember to always be prepared out there as accidents do happen. It�s always good to have a first aid kit and to know what to do in an emergency situation. Penticton has a variety of First Aid training options, so be sure to even pick up basic first aid training.

PentictonSAR



PACA Assistance Notes
Prepared for Penticton and Area Cycling Association



1) Search and Rescue is a Free Resource.

Regardless of nationality or backlog on your taxes, PENSAR will come and get you. Also, regardless of how many resources and hours it takes to find you, you will not be billed for Search and Rescue services.



2) You Have an Emergency � CALL 9-1-1

If you are, or someone else is, too injured to safely leave the area, call 9-1-1 immediately. Note � If you do not have cell service and have to send someone for help ensure they have enough information as to location, extent of injuries (consciousness levels, broken limb, respiratory distress, etc.) if anyone is with the injured person and if any first aid is being administered, is there ability to communicate directly where the injured party is located.


You call 9-1-1 � state your emergency, and your operator will first aim to send your task to one of the three Emergency Services in the Province � Police, Fire, Ambulance. There is no direct access for a Search and Rescue team in B.C. as our use is overseen by one of these three requesting agencies.


The 9-1-1 operators job is to understand the situation and assess what agency service or resources are required. If this is a medical issue the call will be routed to the BC Ambulance (Emergency Health Services) dispatch.
If the incident is off road / out of bounds then the operator has to assess this need and advise the ambulance. However all of this is dependent on the information you provide. Your task will be to advise and inform the Dispatcher that (Search and Rescue) may be required due to the location, terrain and accessibility. The more information you provide the better and will assist in deploying the needed emergency services without causing any undue delays.
(Recognize that dispatchers and call takers assess all information against an identified set of criteria so providing detailed info will reduce the time spent if an emergency service must attend and assess the situation for themselves. And then decide to activate Search and Rescue. These protocols are useful but they consume time, so taking a few extra minutes to really convince that operator will save considerable response time.
Remember � Key phrases to use: I am on the 3 Blind Mice network. I am inaccessible by vehicle. I am on a wilderness trail network. The wording is less important than conveying your isolation from roads and vehicles.
Note � Call early, as PENSAR is much more likely to find you in daylight than at night, and, crucially, our helicopters can�t fly from dusk to dawn. Waiting to call only leaves more time between injury and proper medical attention, and 9-1-1 is the only method to have PENSAR sent out.


Self- Rescue: if you are able to patch yourself up and leave the area without causing new injury or aggravating existing injuries then by all means do so. Self-Rescue is a set of skills worth cultivating in order to both reduce time to medical attention and improve outcomes once there, however, this should not be seen to dissuade anyone from requesting help. Search and Rescue can always stand down if injuries that once appeared severe become less so with further assessment.


3.) PENSAR Relevant Capabilities � how long will it take?



3.1) Response Times

Volunteers populate all Search and Rescue teams in the Province, and as a consequence we do not keep standing teams ready to respond within minutes. Our volunteers must leave their daily routines, muster at the PENSAR Hall, get all gear and vehicles out, and then proceed to the location. We�re quick at this, but the reality is that common response times are over an hour. This is a great argument for that First-Aid class you�ve always wanted to take; you�ll know how to stabilize injuries while waiting for help to arrive.



3.2) Accessing the Injured

PENSAR benefits from wonderful community support, and has UTVs, ATVs, 4�4 vehicles, helicopter long-line (HETS) technicians. Our membership includes Paramedics and those with advanced wilderness First-Aid training, so once we arrive know that you�re in good hands.

"DrCaleb" said
Hey, here's a thought - since we know that both snowmobiling and the Quebec back country in winter are dangerous; how about taking responsibility for your own actions? That, and take a first aid course.

"Alta_redneck" said
Hey, here's a thought - since we know that both snowmobiling and the Quebec back country in winter are dangerous; how about taking responsibility for your own actions? That, and take a first aid course.

"andyt" said
IT's a very confusing story. They say the paramedics were "3 minutes" away but refused to come. Yet the distance was 3km. It took a sled 15 minutes to cover that distance, it would take the paramedics walking in the snow who knows how long to cover it. They had to dig out a sled from a snowbank, yet obviously had other sleds available to take the guy to the paramedics in the first place. Even if the paramedics had gone to the scene, there's a limit to what they can do at the site, they'd still need to transport the guy to the ambulance.

Somebody wasn't thinking here.

"andyt" said
IT's a very confusing story. They say the paramedics were "3 minutes" away but refused to come. Yet the distance was 3km. It took a sled 15 minutes to cover that distance,