Emma Drago, left, makes a donation to COSAR Search Manager Duane Tresnich in the name of Ryan Fletcher. Fletcher’s family and friends were on hand Saturday to honour their friend and thank COSAR. (Photo credit: COSAR)

By Pete McIntyre

Hikers rescued

Adventure lover remembered with donation to search team

Mar 27, 2022 | 4:00 PM

The family of a man who died while enjoying the outdoors has showed their appreciation to search and rescue teams in the Okanagan.

Ryan Fletcher died in a snowboarding accident in the Big White Mountain Ecological Reserve in December.

Fletcher’s relatives presented Central Okanagan Search and Rescue (COSAR) with over $17,000 raised to support the volunteer organization.

COSAR was the lead group in the search and subsequent recovery of Fletcher on December 26-27, 2021. The operation included members from the Big White Ski Patrol, Penticton SAR, Vernon SAR and a helicopter from North Shore Rescue with night vision capabilities.

“We are extremely grateful to all of the organizations and individuals that contributed to finding Ryan. Raising funds to support COSAR felt like the best way to express our thanks to a wonderful organization that provides rescue efforts when the worst-case scenario occurs,” said Ryan’s lifelong friend John Barker, who organized a Go Fund Me page along with wife Sonya Barker and friend Katy Drago.

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Search Manager Duane Tresnich, who coordinated the complex search and recovery, accepted the cheque on behalf of the volunteer rescue group.

“We are extremely grateful for the donation,” said Tresnich.

“Ryan was an outdoorsman who personified our membership–he had a huge love of the outdoors and was always happy to step up and lend a hand.”

“The money will go towards training for our members with some put aside to go to our new building” said Tresnich.

Busy Saturday for Search Team

Saturday was the busiest day of 2022 for COSAR.

At 12:30 p.m., the search group was contacted by Penticton Search And Rescue to assist in locating a missing subject in the Summerland area. Eight COSAR members, including the dog team, responded and joined around a dozen volunteers from Penticton and Oliver/Osoyoos SAR.

A hiker looks on as a helicopter takes his friends back to Bertram Creek Park. (Photo credit: COSAR)

Two hours later, COSAR was called out to rescue four hikers in Okanagan Mountain Park.

The young men had hiked up from Naramata and had nearly made the summit when one fell through a snow bridge and became soaked in the creek underneath.

He became hypothermic as they tried to finish their trek to the cabin at Divide Lake so they called for help.

“Despite their accident, they did a lot of things correctly,” said search manager Duane Tresnich.
“They hiked until they got cell coverage and called for help. We were able to stage a helicopter from Bertram Creek Park and send a team to get them. If they had waited until dark, a ground team would have taken much longer.”

Tresnich reminds adventurers that rescues are free in B.C., but it’s a good idea to carry the 10 essentials, including a personal locator beacon, in case there’s no cell coverage.

This was the tenth task of 2022 for COSAR.

by Pete McIntyre

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