Prince George Search and Rescue

About UsJoin PG SAR

The Fall 2025 intake is now closed.

The Prince George Search and Rescue Society (PGSAR) is a registered non-profit organization operating in and around the Prince George region. PGSAR is manned solely by volunteers who respond 24/7, all year round, in all types of weather conditions. Members are unpaid professionals highly trained in wilderness skills and technical rescue.  

We are tasked by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Coroner Service of British Columbia, and British Columbia Ambulance Service (BCAS) in a variety of search and rescue functions. As members of a provincial team, we are sometimes asked to assist in other areas of the province as well. 

How we are activated

Prince George Search and Rescue is activated by emergency services. If this is an emergency, please contact 9-11 and they will activate our team as needed.  

Please note there is no cost for search and rescue! You do not need to wait 24 hours to report someone as missing. The sooner they are reported, the sooner we can help! 

For non-emergency contact, please see the contact tab at the top of the webpage.  

Thank you to SkookumWorks for your gift of radio protectors for our team’s radios!Anytime we can improve communications it’s a win for our community.🎉 Congratulations to our May Give-Back Program Winner! 🎉We’re proud to award $800 in radio guards to Prince George Search and Rescue GeorgeSearchandRescue (PGSAR) as part of the Skookum Works Give-Back Program!David Merritt - PGSAR Manager shared:“With one of the largest teams in Northern BC, we respond to rope rescue calls, class D rescues, avalanche response, and mechanized rescues. We constantly rely on our radios for communication. We've struggled with losing comms due to channels being bumped. Many of our radios are even missing channel selectors — we’ve had to remove them just to avoid accidental changes.”We’re incredibly grateful to support dedicated volunteers like the members of PGSAR, who give their time and expertise to keep their community safe. 💪🛠️ Know a volunteer emergency response team who could benefit?Apply for next month’s Give-Back Program at www.skookumworks.ca/give-back#SkookumWorks #GiveBackProgram #SearchAndRescue #VolunteerHeroes #PGSAR #EmergencyResponse #RadioSafety #CommunitySupport #MadeInCanada #SkookumWorks ... See MoreSee Less
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PGSAR and Triton Team Up for River Rescue Training ExerciseMembers of the PGSAR Swiftwater Team joined forces with Triton Environmental Consultants to refine their river rescue skills at Isle Pierre Rapids and in quieter waters on the Nechako River this weekend. The swiftwater team practiced using jetboats and inflatable kayaks to facilitate rescues.Our team practices year-round to keep our skills sharp and ready for action. We value the relationships and support from partner organizations that bolster our operational capabilities! ... See MoreSee Less
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Prince George Search and Rescue is looking for a volunteer (individual or business) to take on basic yard maintenance around our hall on a regular basis! Our membership would love to focus on SAR operations and training; this would take one task off our plates.If interested, please contact info at pgsar dot ca (yes we wrote the email address that way on purpose). ... See MoreSee Less
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PGSAR Hover Exit Training: Because Stepping Out of a Hovering Helicopter Builds CharacterHere is a list of some thoughts that went through a PGSAR member’s mind during this weekend's Hover Exit Training Session at Yellowhead Helicopters - Pr George Ops CentreSecure all loose items.Be aware of the main and tail rotors.Keep eyes on the team leader for hand signals.Wait for the command signal before moving.Move deliberately, no sudden actions.Maintain three points of contact until your final step.Rotor wash (can kick up debris).Loose clothing getting caught.Why am I stepping off a perfectly working hovering Helicopter?Pretty sure my helmet’s on tighter than my life choices right now.Stay low and signal when clear.Wow, this is exciting! I'm proud I'm part of a fantastic volunteer team. ... See MoreSee Less
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The PGSAR rope rescue team was out this week keeping the dust off their high angle rescue skills. The team tested their grit rescuing a stuck “silt” climber from a near-vertical section of our local cutbanks. Rope rescue is a highly technical discipline; we train regularly so we don’t ‘loess’ the high degree of competency needed to safely and efficiently carry out such an operation.Thanks for putting up with our down to earth puns!The edges of cutbanks are unstable and hazardous. ... See MoreSee Less
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