Monday afternoon (December 23, 2024) Central Okanagan Search and Rescue (COSAR) was requested by RCMP to assist in rescuing a pilot that had performed a controlled forced landing in Eneas Lakes provincial park.
The pilot was performing a low level maneuver when his landing gear made contact with the snow forcing him to land his small aircraft on a lake.
He landed safety and was uninjured. However, due to the deep snow and slushie conditions he was unable to take off. The pilot then used his iPhone satellite feature to call for help. Due to the remoteness of the lake and limited visibility, COSAR requested assistance from Penticton Search and Rescue and a North Shore Rescue Talon helicopter with night vision capabilities.
The NSR/Talon crew was not able to land due to the fog, but COSAR and PenSAR members managed to get into the area and extract the pilot.
This was COSAR’s 86 call out for the year.
