The airspace over Hespeler Park brought some big thrills for kids enrolled in this year’s adventure camp, hosted by Niverville Recreation.
On Tuesday, August 20, a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CC-130H Hercules circled the sky over the park, dropping a team of six parachuters of the 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron, based out of 17 Wing Winnipeg.
The lucky young people enrolled in the adventure camp, ranging from 6 to 13 years of age, were on the ground participating as simulated casualties in a mock search-and-rescue (SAR).
The kids were briefed in advance of the nature of their simulated circumstances. Victims of a bus crash, they were told, who’d sustained a variety of injuries, some life-threatening.
At ground level, the children were treated as part of the SAR primary medical response training exercise. They were transported, when necessary, by stretcher to triage tents set up nearby.
“SAR and other Air Force demonstrations are carefully planned and closely controlled to ensure public safety at all times,” read an RCAP news release prior to the event. “The Royal Canadian Air Force is proud to share in community events such as this, that allow us to demonstrate the capabilities of our personnel and aircraft to Canadians.”
The Citizen reached out to Captain Ken Jacobson, Public Affairs Officer for the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Jacobson says these kinds of exercises are a regular part of their everyday training.
“Search and rescue technicians, if they’re not out actually performing search-and-rescue functions, are training to make sure that they’re capabilities don’t lapse,” Jacobson says. “So that when the need is called upon, they are ready to go.”
Teresa Mistelbacher is the supervisor of Camps and Recreational Services for the town of Niverville.
“Our team is always working to bring really exciting and new experiences to our summer camps,” says Mistelbacher. “Our adventure camp is a very popular camp that we run every year. It’s intended to help kids build confidence, connection, and leadership skills. It’s really based on, what do the kids want and how can we help that come to life?’”
This year’s adventure camp themes included self-expression through creativity, confidence, and courage.
It was the theme of courage that provoked Mistelbacher to think outside the box.
Mistlebacher’s partner is an aircraft structures technician whose job it is to keep the Hercules aircraft functional and in top condition for SAR teams.
For Mistelbacher, some of the most courageous Canadians can be found among the SAR squadrons.
“I know they do really cool stuff and I know they do it all the time,” Mistelbacher says. “So I thought, why can’t they do those same really cool things on my home turf?”
Instantly, she says, the RCAF was enthusiastic about a collaboration.
There are many levels of authority to wade through, however, to approve an operation like this one. As a result, the event was many months in the making.
Once arranged, the SAR team was deployed on a no-notice mission. Only shortly before they arrived over Hespeler Park was the team made aware they’d be attending an exercise drill and not a real emergency.
Following the dramatic sky jump and on-ground SAR exercise, adventure camp kids enjoyed some hands-on time with the parachute team, trying on gear and asking questions.
The team provided a kid-friendly workshop covering the essentials of wilderness survival. They learned how to start fires with a cotton ball, how to create shelter in a variety of surroundings, and how to signal for help.
The Citizen interviewed four young participants following the event to see how it impacted them. They all agreed that one of the most spectacular moments was when the parachutes leapt from the low-flying aircraft.
Taking a close second was their role as actor casualties. They described their injuries, which included a life-threatening abdominal laceration, a head injury resulting in memory loss and inability to communicate, and a broken leg.
The child with the simulated broken leg was responsible to communicate on behalf of his mute friend nearby.
“I really stayed in character,” says one of the kids. “I honestly have to say that I did really good.”
“At one point I think they thought I was really injured,” says another, suggesting he took the role pretty seriously.
“We are so grateful for the Canadian Armed Forces participation in our adventure camp event,” Mistelbacher says. “The coordination, professionalism, and execution of this event was incredible to see and be a part of. It was an exciting day for camp participants, camp leaders, and the community and we couldn’t have done this without efforts of the many people involved.”
The RCAF, too, benefited from the experience. Jacobson says their training requires locating a vast range of geographical terrains and creating a broad variety of simulated circumstances in order to build on their skillsets.
Their duties may include rescuing a single individual or large group of people. They might go in after a lost hiker, injured rock climber, or stranded snowmobiler. They could be called out to water rescues involving a ship full of people on the ocean or a family stranded on a broken-down boat in Lake Winnipeg.
“Even things like, for example, the evacuation that just took place in Oxford House,” Jacobson says, referencing a recent wildfire response operation in northern Manitoba. “That involved the 435 Squadron.”
The Hercules is a large fixed-wing aircraft with four engines, perfect for SAR efforts. These aircraft are stationed on a variety of military bases across Canada, including Winnipeg; Comox, B.C.; and Trenton, Ontario.
The Hercules aircraft and SAR team dispatched to any emergency is dependent on proximity to the location where they are needed.
“They support search-and-rescue for the central region, which is from the Quebec border to the B.C. border and from the U.S.-Canada border all the way to the North Pole,” Jacobson says.
For kids who missed out on this year’s adventure camp excitement, Mistelbacher says there’s always next year.
“We’re always coming up with new and interesting ways to keep our summer camp program really exciting for the kids who are participating,” she says. “We’re adding value every day and we’re already coming up with great ideas for next year.”
