Searching from the sky: How CASARA helps with air search and rescue

A group of volunteers with the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA) on P.E.I. are ready to help from the air in a search and rescue situation.

Though fortunately, says pilot Doug MacDonald, they aren't needed often.

"We're blessed on P.E.I. that we don't have major searches," said MacDonald,vice-president of plans and equipment with CASARA.

"It's been a long time. It's probably been 19, 20 years since a major air search has happened here. That's the good part but we train all the time to be ready for such an incident."

MacDonald took CBC P.E.I. meteorologist Jay Scotland up in a Piper Cherokee airplane, to show him what CASARA does during a search and rescue situation.

MacDonald said the Royal Canadian Air Force likes to "double task," so they will task a Hercules or a Cormorant aircraft and then also reach out to a local CASARA zone.

"We would start fanning out people, getting them into the airport and from there we'd be tasked by a military search master," he said.

Jay Scotland learns what CASARA does during an air search and rescue situation

7 years ago

Duration 3:15

Jay Scotland learns what CASARA does during an air search and rescue situation

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