A rapid response made possible through inter-departmental co-operation may have saved the life of a man who collapsed on Anarchist  Mountain last week while snowmobiling.
Members of the Anarchist Mountain Fire Department (AMFD) responded to a call around 4 p.m. on January 18 that initially was routed to Oliver Search and Rescue through the emergency dispatch centre in Kelowna.
Recognizing the call was originating from Anarchist Mountain and noting it would take them more than an hour to responsd to the call, Search and Rescue personnel asked the dispatcher to contact the Anarchist Mountain Fire Department and request firefighters assistance with the search.
Shortly afterwards, AMFD members Duane and Grant Harfman, who were themselves just returning from a snowmobiling excursion, responded to the call, transporting their sleds to the end of Bullmoose Road and travelling by snowmobile along a trail that winds near the summit of Anarchist Mountain.
They arrived at the emergency scene minutes later and found two men with their snowmobiles.
One of the man was unconscious, but was breathing on his own. It is believed the man had suffered a heart attack.
“They loaded him into a sled they brought with them and 15 minutes later the man was packaged and delivered to the ambulance, which was waiting on Bullmoose,” said AMFD captain Darren Hutchison.
The firefighters then made another trip up the trail to retrieve the man’s snowmobile.
The AMFD responds to numerous calls every year, most related to motor vehicle accidents.
“As more people move to the mountain and more people begin to explore, I don’t think this is going to be too unique for us,” he said.