Castlegar Search and Rescue assists injured ATV rider

Castlegar Search and Rescue located and transported an injured ATV rider on Sunday.

The Castlegar RCMP "were alerted to an SOS activation on a satellite GPS tracking device" just after 1 p.m. on June 23, according to a release. A person on the scene was able to use the GPS device's texting capabilities to let officers know that someone had rolled their ATV and was injured.

The signal was coming from the Sunshine Bay Forest Recreation Site, which is west of Castlegar and north of Deer Park. Because of the remote location and the terrain, Castlegar RCMP contacted Castlegar Search and Rescue (CSAR) for assistance.

"Castlegar Search and Rescue travelled to the location via ground transportation while requesting the assistance of Nelson Search and Rescue to attend by helicopter," reads the release.

On arrival, CSAR and officers found that bystanders were providing the 65-year-old woman who had been injured with first aid. 

"The female appeared to be suffering from extensive injuries and in a lot of pain."

The rider, who was wearing a helmet, was thrown from the ATV when it accidentally went off road and down a 10-foot embankment. Luckily, there were other people in the area who heard the crash, and one of them had the GPS device that was used to contact the Castlegar RCMP.

"Search and Rescue secured the injured female and safely transported her to the nearby helicopter which was able to land a short distance away. The female was airlifted to a nearby hospital and is expected to make a full recovery from her injuries."