Frequently Asked Questions

We hear some version of this after almost every rescue, and it deserves a conversation.

Search and Rescue in British Columbia does not charge people for rescue—and there are some very important reasons why.

First, people in genuine distress need to call for help early, without first calculating whether they can afford it.

As soon as money is involved, things get complicated. We have seen people visiting from the United States run from rescuers and try to hide in the bushes because they believed they would be charged for the rescue.

That serves no one. It puts the subject in greater danger and makes the rescue more difficult.

Second, Search and Rescue is treated as a public-safety service.

We generally do not send someone a bill when firefighters respond to a house fire because they left a pan on the stove. We do not invoice someone for a car crash because they made a driving error.

The same principle applies to SAR.

Third, encouraging people to call early ultimately protects rescuers.

Delayed calls frequently mean night operations, worsening weather, larger search areas and more complex terrain. All of these increase the exposure and risk to SAR members.

The person who calls early is usually easier—and safer—to rescue than the person who waits until they have no other choice.

Finally, it is almost impossible to fairly decide who “deserves” a bill.

Was someone reckless? Inexperienced? Unlucky? Did they receive a bad forecast? Suffer an unexpected injury? Make a simple human error?

Experienced mountaineers have accidents too.

Creating a system to investigate, assign blame and potentially litigate responsibility after every rescue would be enormously complicated—and would itself cost money.

None of this means SAR believes people have no responsibility.

Our approach is to separate rescue from blame: Rescue first. Educate and prevent afterward.

SAR volunteers spend hundreds of hours speaking at schools, hiking and mountaineering clubs, giving public presentations, sharing lessons from rescues, and encouraging people to use resources such as AdventureSmart.

We would much rather help people make better decisions before their next trip than make them afraid to call us when something has already gone wrong.

So yes, sometimes people make poor decisions. Sometimes people are underprepared. Sometimes people make mistakes.

But when someone is in genuine distress, we want them to call.

Call early. Call before the situation gets worse. Let us come and help.

In British Columbia, search and rescue is divided into three major categories:

• Air
• Marine
• Ground and Inland Waters

Air and marine searches are the responsibility of the Armed Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard, while ground and inland water searches outside of national parks are the responsibility of the RCMP. Search and rescue groups such as Lions Bay Search and Rescue are called out by the RCMP to provide personnel and equipment for these types of searches.

Details on RCMP policy for search and rescue are available on the RCMP website.

Search and Rescue teams do not task themselves. In an emergency, call 911.

A tasking agency—such as police, fire, ambulance, or another authorized agency—initiates the SAR response. Once the call is received, Emergency Coordination Centre dispatches the appropriate Search and Rescue team.

SAR managers then gather details, begin the investigation, assess the situation, and develop an initial response plan. Team members are paged and respond to the staging area or search headquarters.

Search and rescue is free in B.C.—whether you live here or are visiting from another country. You will not receive a bill from the SAR team for the search or rescue, including the use of a helicopter during the SAR operation.

If you require ambulance transport to a hospital, separate health-care fees may apply. For B.C. residents covered by MSP, 911 ambulance transport is currently a flat $80 fee. For visitors and others without MSP coverage, a ground ambulance can cost $848. Hospital treatment may also be billed separately for visitors to Canada, which is why travel insurance is strongly recommended.

And importantly, it does not cost more because the ambulance takes someone to Lions Gate Hospital versus VGH. For an MSP-covered B.C. resident, it is still the same $80 flat fee. For someone without MSP, the ground ambulance fee is $848—it is not a per-kilometre charge.

The team is funded through donations from companies and individuals. The Provincial Emergency Program covers search expenses and lost equipment, but all equipment must first be purchased by the team or by individual members.

To support the team, please visit our donation page.

B.C.'s 78 volunteer search and rescue teams respond to roughly 1,700–2,000 incidents each year.

In the first half of 2025, there were 851 incidents across the province. During the same period in 2026, there were 779 incidents, an overall decrease of 8.5%.

The Southwest is the busiest region, with 284 incidents in the first half of 2026. Vancouver Island was the only region to see an increase, while the Southeast and Northwest regions both saw decreases of approximately 21%.

2026 figures may be subject to reporting delays.

Between 3 pm and 6 pm

People typically:

• Start hiking 8–10 am
• Summit around noon
• Become injured or exhausted on descent
• Call for help mid- to late-afternoon

There are approximately 3,250 volunteers in British Columbia, organized into 78 search and rescue teams.

These teams support:

• Police searching for lost persons
• BC Ambulance Service when specialized skills and equipment are needed to transport injured persons
• The Coroners Service when specialized skills and equipment are needed for recovery
• The Department of National Defence and Canadian Coast Guard in their air and marine search and rescue mandate
• Local governments during civil emergencies

These groups are coordinated and maintained by the Provincial Emergency Program.

More information can be found through the BC Search and Rescue Association.