Inuvik Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary getting 1st search and rescue Sea-Doos

People in Inuvik, N.W.T., celebrated the donation of two Sea-Doos to the local Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary on Saturday. 

The Sea-Doos — a brand of small motor water vehicles — were donated by Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) to help with search and rescue (SAR) in the area. 

The local auxiliary's coverage area in the Mackenzie Delta consists of tens of thousands of lakes, rivers and streams.

Some waterways aren't always easy to get to by boat, which is why having a Sea-Doo could greatly help the organization when conducting rescues. 

"The search and rescue Sea-Doo we see here is the first one in the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary across Canada," said Peggy Griffith, president of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary's central and Arctic regions.

Back in September, unit leader Paul MacDonald, with the help of some of the Inuvik auxiliary's volunteers, wrote a proposal to BRP explaining why having Sea-Doos would improve their services.

"I believe it is going to reduce our risk out on the water," said MacDonald. "So instead of trying to push into a tight narrow channel on a boat that really shouldn't be going through there… now we can zip in with a vessel that is designed for that environment."

MacDonald said there are about 16 members in the local auxiliary, and the area they search is twice the size of Vancouver Island.

He said the timing of this donation is perfect because there is concern that with the opening of the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway, people may end up exploring waterways that may be unfamiliar to the auxiliary.

"A lot more tourists are coming to Inuvik and to Tuk, and there are a lot of adventurers, and they are pushing off to the Delta. And canoers, kayakers, they can get into very shallow, very tight areas," said MacDonald.

"When someone is missing, it's difficult to search the entire vastness of the Delta in a boat but with the [search and rescue] jet-skis we will will be able to do a more thorough search… and hopefully save more lives."

After the ceremony, the coast guard brought BRP representatives out on the water for a boat and helicopter ride so they could see how vast the area is first-hand.

Only one of the donated Sea-Doos arrived in Inuvik and the other will be sent up at a later date.

Inflatable tubes and navigation lights

The search and rescue Sea-Doo has a couple of special features that make it stand out.

It has inflatable tubes on the outside to increase its stability, it's more durable, and it has navigation lights that will help with searches at night.

"All products are actually customized to the needs of the client and that's really the unique thing about the SARs Sea-Doos… It's really a model that is customized to the needs of the Delta," said Catherine Moreau, senior advisor for media relations with BRP.

Moreau said the company was very moved by the proposal they received from MacDonald, which led them to making this first-of-its-kind donation.

"BRP is committed to our communities," said Moreau. "We were charmed with their request and we really wanted to help them and ensure their safety."

Luckily, there haven't been any calls for search and rescue this summer, but MacDonald said that can change with the weather warming up.