 and its brand-new LifeSeeker technology. On Friday morning,...)
A missing ebiker on Vancouver Island is safe thanks to a breakthrough moment for North Shore Rescue (NSR) and its brand-new LifeSeeker technology. On Friday morning, NSR was called to help Nanaimo Search and Rescue and nearby Island teams after the man had been missing overnight. The search was considered urgent, and crews knew time mattered.
That’s when NSR deployed its helicopter-mounted LifeSeeker device for the first time in the field. The unit works like a portable cell tower, allowing rescuers to detect and locate active phones in places where there’s no regular service. Within minutes of scanning the area, the system locked onto the man’s cell phone. A helicopter team was able to land close by, reach him, and fly him out for care. NSR said in a Facebook post that he was “very happy to see rescuers.”
“This marks our first real operational deployment — and our first success — with the LifeSeeker,” the team said in a post on Facebook. “It’s the first of its kind find for a volunteer SAR team in B.C., and perhaps in Canada.”
Years of effort behind the moment
The rescue is the payoff of years of behind-the-scenes work. NSR said in the post that the LifeSeeker became possible thanks to countless volunteer hours, engineering know-how, and support from the community. The Rotary Club of West Vancouver Sunrise and its Rotary Ride for Rescue fundraiser provided critical funding, along with donations from locals.
(Source: DailyHive, Bhagyashree Chatterjee. Photo/North Shore Rescue – Facebook)
