Liz Rodnisky wouldn’t trade her volunteer position for anything.
The Flin Flon resident has been assisting the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA) for the past decade.
“My brother-in-law was very involved in the group, and after each meeting he was very enthused,” Rodnisky said. “I kept commenting on his excitement and he told me to come out and see for myself. I did, and I was hooked.”
Group members take part in training exercises and drills to prepare them for the possibility they’ll be called to search for individuals who are lost in the vast northern landscape.
“The things we learn are important, and knowing that we can actually do some good is rewarding,” said Rodnisky.
Each volunteer is required to log a certain number of hours during practice sessions before they can be called on to be part of a search team.
When a call for assistance comes in, the team is assembled and a course is plotted. As a spotter, Rodnisky’s job is to visually scan the ground below from the vantage point of the plane.
Team members are schooled in using proper commands to instruct the pilot to turn the plane around, avoiding confusion during the search. Once spotted, the air crew will signal the location to a ground crew that can move in to rescue the individual.
The local group goes on one or two calls each year, though as Rodnisky says, “You hope you never have to go on a search.”
She recalled one search in which a snowmobiler was overdue and the team was called in to find him. The individual’s machine had broken down and he was forced to spend the night outdoors before CASARA located him from the air.
“He was very happy to see us,” Rodnisky recalled.
“When our searches are successful it’s very comforting,” she said. “I like to think that we are helping.”
CASARA volunteers are an important asset to the RCMP and other officials, and have the training necessary to search the vast landscape from the air.
In addition to air search training, CASARA volunteers also undergo survival training to protect themselves should they ever be the one in need of assistance.
While their work is serious, CASARA volunteers say the group is comprised of warm, welcoming people who enjoy what they do.
“It’s really a good group of people and we have a lot of fun, too,” Rodnisky said. “We are all volunteers and if you can’t make it to a meeting, people understand.”
As with all organizations, there is a certain amount of meeting time and work involved for CASARA members, but Rodnisky encourages anyone interested “to stick it out.”
“I love the flying,” she said. “The chance to see the beautiful country from the air is second to none.”
