(Tiffany Goodwein/CHATNewsToday)

By Tiffany Goodwein

Smile Sunday

Volunteer search and rescue organization receives two new trucks

Jun 28, 2020 | 10:04 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB-They are there to help in some of the most dire of circumstances, from missing hikers to most recently, assisting in the search of missing teenagers along the St Mary’s river. The Southeastern Alberta Search and Rescue Association received a much needed gift on Saturday. The organization received two new trucks to help in their missions.

“ We were given a very, very generous personal donation from somebody and we were able to get a matching donation from the government under the CIP program, and we were able to purchase two new vehicles,” Delea Mapstone of the Southeastern Alberta Search and Rescue Association said.

The new vehicles will replace their old trucks which have been with them for many years.

Mapstone said the association which consists of 44 active members responds to an average of six to 25 calls per year . This year alone Southeastern Search and Rescue has already responded to 11 calls for service.

“ Some of the call outs that we have done in the past little while have actually been backing our jet boat down into the river, not along a boat ramp, not along a nice paved path, it’s actually been on the side of a river,”

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Having vehicles that are capable of handing various terrain is crucial according to Mapstone.

“This increases our capacity tri-fold for the agencies that task us,” Mapstone said.

The organization is volunteer- based and covers a fairly large area, stretching from the U.S Border to north of Oyen and from the Saskatchewan border to the Taber area.

“To have two new vehicles where we don’t have to put money into really high maintenance or the cost to fix those vehicles is really huge for us,” Mapstone said.