How North Shore Rescue prepares to help those with mental, cognitive differences
Posted April 12, 2019 6:06 am.
Last Updated April 12, 2019 10:27 am.
NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – It’s been more than a week since North Vancouver’s Vincent Che went missing.
North Shore Rescue has been searching Lynn Valley for any sign of the 60-year-old, who may have early stages of dementia.
Just weeks before Che was last seen, members of the North Shore Rescue spent their weekend in a classroom learning how to help people who may not even realize they’re lost.
“We get a lot of elderly walkaways, so people that are suffering from dementia and that are not very aware of their surroundings or the situation that they’re in — they don’t understand that they are actually lost,” NSR’s Mike Danks explains.
From autism to dementia: Search and Rescue teams have to be ready to help anyone who needs them and that takes serious training and preparation. @NSRescue tells us about the team's work with people in mental distress and helping those with congnitive differnces @NEWS1130 pic.twitter.com/nzrab3RQDW
— Ash Kelly she/her (settler) (@AshDKelly) April 12, 2019
Whether it’s a child with autism, or someone whose mental health has degraded over days of being lost and injured in the woods, Danks adds the training is all about slowing the situation down and helping the person in distress feel safe.
He says it comes down to knowledge and understanding.
“I don’t think there is a written playbook that tells you exactly how you deal with each situation. I think you need to be adaptable and understanding and really work with the emotional response that you’re getting from that person once they are found.”
Che has not been officially diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia, however, his family has said they’ve noticed his memory “is slowly decreasing as he gets fatigued.”
We’re doing this story 9 days after 60-year-old NOrth Vancouver man, Vincent Che was reported missing. @NSRescue continues to help in the search for the man whose family worries he may be suffering from early stages of dementia. https://t.co/lGoSwuePfN
— Ash Kelly (@AshDKelly) April 12, 2019
When preparing for a search, Danks says it’s important for teams to talk with the missing person’s loved ones to understand what situation they are in.
Another thing to keep in mind for Search and Rescue crews is the safety and wellbeing of their own members.
NSR has seen a number of different situations, and in some cases, members don’t know what they’re going to find when they locate a victim.
“We’ve been in these situations many, many times,” Danks says. “We have seen people that have given up all hope and have basically laid down to pass away, which is a pretty overwhelming thing.”
Team leader Mike Danks tells me the training focuses on awareness, identifying triggers and slowing the situation down to help victims/subjects feel safe.
— Ash Kelly (@AshDKelly) April 12, 2019
Sometimes rescuers aren’t sure what they’re going to find when they locate a victim.
“We’ve been doing a lot of autism awareness training. Some younger children walk away from their families, and also with young adults as well.”
As difficult as some of these calls can be, Danks says it’s rewarding to reunite people with their loved ones.