News Archive
Search, Rescue and Outdoor Skills Goes to New Heights
The Search and Rescue (SAR) 360 spent a sunny day this week high in the sky as they got fully immersed in rescue training as part of their unit on rope rescue. Taking all of the skills learned while on campus, they ventured over to the local fire department where they participated in high-angle rescue simulations involving injured ‘patients’ (volunteers from the group) who had ‘fallen off a cliff’ and retrieving them on stretchers using ropes. Simulating this scenario allows for first-hand practice with incident command and for these students, the hands-on experience from this is invaluable. The teamwork required to execute such a task, all while learning the do’s and don’ts as you go, is something the students can only benefit from.
Students who have joined the SAR 360 will learn all aspects of advanced rescue techniques in various scenarios. In this case, it was rappelling and retrieving using ropes, and soon they will get to gain experience in winter scenarios, with swift water rescue scenarios to look forward to as the weather warms. By the end of the year, these adventurers will have learned navigation and survival skills, participated in rescue scenarios, as well as obtained their Wilderness First Aid certification - quite an accomplishment considering the certification alone takes over 80 hours to complete and the exam is not for the faint of heart.
Our 360 programming provides opportunities for students to explore, experience, create, innovate, connect, reflect and discover new things about themselves and the world around them. The SAR program is one example of this exceptional opportunity for our students, providing them with skills and experience to take out into the world with them. Our purpose to inspire the best in each to create the best for all is happening here at Shawnigan, one experience at a time.
Shawnigan Lake School is adhering to all COVID-19 guidelines released by the BC Ministries of Health and Education.
Thank you Jamie T. '24 for filming and editing this video!
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful West Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
