North Shore Rescue founding member Karl Winter dead at 82

Karl Winter, a founding member of North Shore Rescue (NSR), has died at the age of 82. Since the mid-1960s he was involved in hundreds of rescues and helped modernize the service into what it is today.

A German immigrant, Winter was one of a handful of people who answered the call from North Vancouver city officials in 1965 asking for volunteers to form a civil defence league that could react to emergencies in the municipality.

Winter, along with brothers Dave and Gerry Brewer, soon transformed that group into North Shore Rescue, which has become one of the most dynamic search and rescue outfits in North America.

"It was he who led the way," said Gerry Brewer from his home in North Vancouver on Monday.

"Karl started showing us that we would have to learn a considerable amount of mountaineering and rescue skills that previous to that had not been in our program."

Winter died of natural causes on Dec. 31, according to NSR. He is fondly remembered by the team and people around the world whose lives he touched.

In a post on Facebook, NSR eulogizes some of the many exploits of Winter, who seemed to relish difficult conditions in unforgiving mountains but also helping others.

"I've climbed many mountains tied to the back of Karl Winter by a rope," said Brewer. 

"He was always doing something for other people."

Brewer said Winter was on the scene with the fledgling NSR in 1968 when the group realized it would have to train harder, smarter and be better equipped to meet the demands of rescuing people who could easily get into trouble in the North Shore mountains, which are easily accessible to anyone in Metro Vancouver.

That year Winter was part of a team that had to climb the north face of Goat Mountain to recover the body of a climber who had fallen. Brewer said the rigour and danger of that outing showed members that their mountaineering skills and equipment had to improve.

"So we could do the job safely and effectively," said Brewer.

According to NSR's post, Winter "experienced the transition from doing everything the 'hard way' to being able to utilize the improved technological advances in equipment, safety gear, and the use of helicopters."

In his private life Winter worked for a company that installed industrial doors, like those used at mine sites. He and his wife, Mary, also became internationally renowned breeders of St. Bernard alpine rescue dogs.

Brewer said Winter was a quiet, thoughtful and generous man who climbed mountains around the world and deeply cared for the people he was committed to helping.

"When we would be looking for missing people, he felt for the people. He had an empathy for the subject, which we call the missing people. It's not unique but it certainly is profound in his persona." 

Winter leaves behind his wife, sons Greg and Warren and four grandchildren.