North Shore Search and Rescue urges outdoor enthusiasts to prioritize safety by following the “3Ts”: planning trips, getting trained, and carrying the 10 essentials, even on short local outings.
MANITOULIN—With another season of hiking, fishing, ATV riding and exploring the wilderness starting in Northern Ontario, North Shore Search and Rescue (NSSAR) wants to remind everyone that even short trips outdoors can be risky. Most emergencies start with choices that could have been avoided, even on routine outings.
NSSAR is a volunteer group based in Espanola that helps with search and rescue across Northeastern Ontario, including places like Manitoulin Island, Greater Sudbury, Elliot Lake, Blind River, West Nipissing and the North Shore. NSSAR president Jeb Brown told The Expositor, “When police services request assistance, such as the OPP ERT, our trained volunteers are deployed into forests or other locations where people are suspected of having gone missing or lost,” he said. “In that sense, we are a service multiplier that add resources in times of emergency when time is critical to keeping people safe.”
“People sometimes assume because they’ve been somewhere before or because it’s just a short hike that nothing can really go wrong,” said Mr. Brown. “But conditions change quickly in the bush. Preparation matters, and it doesn’t take much to make yourself significantly safer.”
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