Merritt Herald - April 10, 2014

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LADIES VOLLEYFEST RESULTS PAGE 24

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THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2014 • MERRITT NEWSPAPERS TAKE AIM

Dana Marr lets her arrow fly toward a life-sized foam replica of a cougar at the Nicola Valley Fish and Game Club’s 3D Archery Shoot on April 5. On the April 5-6 weekend, participants got to take aim at 30 foam targets split between two trails in the Lower Nicola area. Can you spot Marr’s arrow on its way toward the target? Michael Potestio/Herald

Legacy Water Search society to present in Merritt By Emily Wessel THE HERALD

newsroom@merrittherald.com

The Legacy Water Search and Recovery Society is inviting Merrittonians to attend a presentation to hear how far they’ve come since the drowning deaths of two Langley teens on Nicola Lake nearly a year ago. “Because the community was so involved, we wanted to come back and thank the community and tell them what we’ve been up to,” Legacy Water Search and Recovery Society president Scott Lebus said. “We wanted to give them a full update and briefing

about what we’ve been up to, where we’re going and what our goals are.” The society was established after the deaths of Austin Kingsborough and Brendan Wilson. The boys went missing on April 21, 2013 when their canoe overturned on the lake. After an RCMP search of the lake turned up nothing, the families of the boys brought in an Idaho-based couple and their side-scan sonar equipment. The couple, Gene and Sandy Ralston, have helped recover upward of 80 bodies of drowning victims. The boys were recovered on

May 6, 2013. Now, the Legacy Water Search and Recovery Society will take on the role of helping in searches and recoveries for other families who need help — and at no cost to those families. The non-profit organization is the first of its kind in Canada. “We’ve really recognized that finding people who’ve gone missing as a result of drowning and recovering them is vital to the families,” Lebus said. “It’s vital to their ability to heal and move forward.” With about $55,000 of its ultimate $350,000 goal raised, the

society has enough support to purchase its first piece of equipment. Members of the society will pick up a remote operating vehicle (ROV) on Monday. An ROV is a tethered underwater vehicle that’s controlled remotely and has a camera to locate a body. The ROV will cost about $80,000 on a deal from Nanaimobased Seamor Marine, which is allowing the society to finance the equipment interest-free. Lebus said the society’s partners recognize that fundraising is an ongoing effort and will fluctuate. “Our attitude is very much that

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this is a marathon, not a race,” Lebus said of fundraising. Lebus said the purchase of this ROV represents the society reaching its 2014 goal, which was to be operational. They can now help in searches, albeit in smaller areas than they will be able to search once they have side-scan sonar equipment. “If somebody called us today and said can you help, we want to be able to say yes, we can help. Even if it’s a limited capability, we actually can come to a site and help,” he said.

See ‘Society’ Page 2


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