VANCOUVER — The lawyer for a Quebec man whose lawsuit against the search and rescue team in Golden, B.C., forced it to shut down says some good can come of the court action.
Nancy Wilhelm-Morden says if problems with search and rescue teams come to light as a result of the lawsuit, then that’s a positive thing for all involved.
Search and rescue teams throughout the country have been scrambling to re-examine their insurance policies since the negligence suit was filed by Gilles Blackburn against the Golden team.
In B.C., the search and rescue unit in Kimberley followed Golden’s lead by temporarily suspending its services and Vernon has given the province 60 days to clear up any insurance gaps or it too will cease operations.
Blackburn is seeking damages after he and his wife spent nine days lost in the wilderness. He claims SOS messages he stamped into the snow were ignored and enough wasn’t done to save him and his wife, who died during the ordeal.