Nelson Search and Rescue

Earlier this week, our team had the privilege of connecting with over 30 exceptional candidates interested in joining Nelson Search & Rescue.

Several NSAR members were on hand to chat with applicants from across the community. This is an incredibly strong cohort... individuals with diverse backgrounds, deep experience, and a genuine drive to help others. Frankly, it makes our selection process remarkably difficult!

Ultimately, it speaks volumes about our community: people here truly care, step up, and want to look out for one another. A massive shout-out to everyone who came out, shared their stories, and expressed interest.

Thank you for showing up for your community—we hope to see you again soon! 🏔️👥

Tonight's training: simulating a capsized canoe rescue with multiple subjects in the water.

Fifteen years ago, NSAR lost our team member Sheilah Sweatman. She continues to be a force and influence in search and rescue. We remember and honour her in our memorial garden, and the supportive culture of out team.

Out with the crew this weekend practicing a hover exit, an important skill when landing the bird isn't an option. We were fortunate to have both our rescue dogs with us so our furry friends and team mates could get accustomed to the process.

Thank you to BC Hydro ( ) for your generous donation. We were pleased to be informed that NSAR was nominated by one of their grant programs in an effort to support local groups making positive impacts in their community.

Nelson Search and Rescue is accepting applications for our new member cohort. Please complete and submit your application by May 31st 2026

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeLhg4_J-s-vUScstz_hfcDBsXiVcvwW5mdAPgv3_y6zD79Iw/viewform?usp=header

At our recent AGM, we were honored to celebrate several members for their incredible milestones and contributions. Please join us in congratulating:

30 Years of Service: Chris and Bruce
15 Years of Service: Josh, Denis, and Douglas
5 Years of Service: Jeannine, Megan, Kevin, Ryan, Alex, and Anna

In addition to these milestones, the AGM serves as a moment to recognize those who embody our core values. We celebrated members who demonstrated exceptional dedication and mentorship, those who consistently go above and beyond to support their peers outside of regular tasks, and those who have shown outstanding leadership throughout the year.

Happy International Women’s Day!

NSAR is proud to have such an incredible crew, nearly half of whom are women. Together, they contributed over 3,000 hours of service to search and rescue over the past year.

In what was traditionally a male-dominated field, women continue to show up and lead. Today they are present at every level of our organization — serving as our president, in director roles, in team leadership, and across specialty teams. Their dedication, skill, and commitment strengthen our entire team and the communities we serve.

Thank you to Laura, Carol Ann, Melinda, Geneva, Kaitlin, Krista, Anna, Megan, Tara, Jeannine, Rosemarie, Lindsay, Genevieve, Callie, Chandrima, Alex, Melissa, and Tiyene.

We’re grateful to have you on the team.

On Friday morning, we participated in a joint effort with the Royal Canadian Air Force and a local tour operator to rescue two people after a helicopter crash near Nelson.

Learn more about the rescue on Castanet:
https://tinyurl.com/2debma8j