Concerned about a lack of legal support from the province of B.C., Golden and District Search and Rescue is suspending service after a skier named it in a lawsuit last month.Joel Jackson, president of Golden and District Search and Rescue (GADSAR), said the group won't resume operations until legal coverage is provided to volunteers by the Provincial Emergency Program (PEP). The issue came to the forefront last month after Quebec skier Gilles Blackburn launched a lawsuit seeking damages from the Golden search and rescue society, as well as the RCMP and Kicking Horse Resort, after he and his wife spent nine days lost in the wilderness.He claims the three organizations didn't do enough to save him and his wife, Marie-Josee Fortin, 44, after they became lost on Feb. 15.
Fortin died of hypothermia seven days into the ordeal. Duffy said the lawsuit has forced all B.C. rescue teams to re-examine their insurance policies."There's a lot of concern over this and a lot of focus on it because it is a first and we want to explore what the gaps and risks are out of this and inform the wider search-and-rescue community to make sure that everyone has the coverages that they need," he said.The concern about a lack of legal coverage has also prompted other search-and-rescue teams in the east Kootenays to consider shutting down, said Golden councillor Mike Pecora."Basically it's turning out to be almost a full protest -- it's a pretty dicey protest," he said."Why would you want to go out because you could turn around and sue them because they didn't get you out quick enough," he said.
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Should the couple sue the rescue team? considering that the rescue team didnt find them on time and alos the guys wife died so I guess thats his reason for suing the rescue team... What do you think? the rescue teams in that area wont be operating while the lawsuit is going on, which could potentially lead to other people dying... and not being lost lol
Fortin died of hypothermia seven days into the ordeal. Duffy said the lawsuit has forced all B.C. rescue teams to re-examine their insurance policies."There's a lot of concern over this and a lot of focus on it because it is a first and we want to explore what the gaps and risks are out of this and inform the wider search-and-rescue community to make sure that everyone has the coverages that they need," he said.The concern about a lack of legal coverage has also prompted other search-and-rescue teams in the east Kootenays to consider shutting down, said Golden councillor Mike Pecora."Basically it's turning out to be almost a full protest -- it's a pretty dicey protest," he said."Why would you want to go out because you could turn around and sue them because they didn't get you out quick enough," he said.
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Should the couple sue the rescue team? considering that the rescue team didnt find them on time and alos the guys wife died so I guess thats his reason for suing the rescue team... What do you think? the rescue teams in that area wont be operating while the lawsuit is going on, which could potentially lead to other people dying... and not being lost lol