Lions Bay Search & Rescue

	Provincial Emergency Program Task Report # 953537

			RCMP Police File # 951598

Subject: Mellanie Carpenter
Date: January 21-22nd 1995


ICS SAR Manager : Rob Young, Surrey SAR

Assistant Lions Bay SAR Manager: Martin Colwell.

Saturday January 21st 1995

Lions Bay Search & Rescue participated, along with numerous other SAR teams from the Lower Mainland and Whatcom County, in an evidence search conducted near 2nd Avenue and 188 St in Surrey, BC.. The Search Base was installed at the Semiahmoo Fish Hatchery at approximately 0630 hrs. Members of LBSAR joined approximately 100 searchers to conduct an evidence gridsearch of the fields and hedgrows in the area surrounding the location  where a red honda civic with Alberta licence plates was twice reported as having been seen. It is suspected that the car was rented by a convicted criminal. Search briefings were conducted at 0830 hrs and field deployments began at approximately 0930 hrs.

Two Area Managers were assigned to direct searchers through each of two main search areas, which had been  subdivided into a total of 17 zones (zones A thro Q). Aprroximate Search Area 0.2 sq km. Each zone was gridsearched sequentially, based on the Search Priority principle. Experienced trackers were sent through the highest probability areas first. A single sweep at 3 meters spacing was performed through each of the 17 zones, which alternated between open fields, forest and bushy hedgrows. The search speed was estimated to be 0.25 km/hour. No mathematically derived POD was assigned to the searched areas, however onsite POD estimations were in the 80-90% range. Numerous articles were reported and some collected. The RCMP examined and kept any articles which could be considered of interest. Media were permitted to photograph the searchers from the boundary of the search zones. All of the 17 search zones were completed under clear and sunny conditions but no definite clues were found.

Saturday evening was spent developing  a plan to search the Tynehead Park region of Surrey, BC, an area close to the TransCanada Highway and the Guildford Shopping Centre.


Sunday January 22nd 19955

The Search Base was transfered to the Tynehead Park Fish Hatchery in Surrey, BC..
The Search Base was installed between  0700 and 0830 hrs. Search briefings were conducted at 0900 hrs by representatives of the RCMP, PEP, and SAR Managers each making presentations. Field deployments commenced at approximately 10.00 hrs.


The forested areas of Tynehead Park were subdivided into 14 search zones. Each zone was gridsearched sequentially, based on the Search Priority principle and gridsearch logistics. Approximately 50 searchers, including members from Lions Bay Search & Rescue,  conducted a Body Sweep search, consisting of a single sweep at 20 meters spacing, designed to give an approximately 68% POD, based on field calibrations in west-coast coniferous forest. The search speed was estimated to be approximately 0.8km/hour.A single volunteer dog team was deployed to various roadheads, campsites and other likely spots. Three zone managers directed the gridsearchers sequentially through the search zones, moving from one zone to another, as each search zone was completed . The forest remained misty throughout the day, especially in the early morning and early evening. All of the search assignments were completed by nightfall. Some articles were collected but no definite clues were found.

Comments:

Pre-planning, POA assignments, map preparation, search logistics and resource allocation were conducted on the evening of the 19th of January 1995. Search site preparation was conducted on friday the 20th January. 

The shifting of the search area and search base from one location to another within one evening significantly added to the planning and search base preparation time for this operation. While the move was entirely necessary an overhead kit and/or vehicle would have markedly reduced the amount of physical preparatory work involved and permitted more time for a rational consideration of the next days search plan. The natural reluctance of SAR teams to move the base vehicles out of their search areas meant that much equipment and facilities had to be hastily collected from ad-hoc sources, with many compromises to the quality and effectiveness of the base camp facilities.

The search teams are to be commended for thoroughly and effectively completing all of the assignments. Radio logging was well documented, however an improved registration system is required to keep track of the number of the number of available searchers.

Prepared by


M.Colwell
Deputy Search Manager.
Lions Bay Search & Rescue