Members of the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association have two days of training exercises planned for the La Ronge area and they will be joined by members of the Canadian Rangers.

Paul Ricklefs, the CASARA commander for the La Ronge area, says the activities include the simulated emergency landing of an aircraft on an ice runway, where the Canadian Rangers will assist the ground searchers.

“We are doing a scenario where one of our aircraft simulates an emergency on the way back to the La Ronge Airport, we’re going to simulate a low-fuel situation,” he said.

An aircraft from the 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron in Winnipeg was also invited to be part of the training.

A number of CASARA volunteers will also head out to the bush, accompanied by the Canadian Rangers for some basic winter survival training.

Ricklefs says CASARA is always looking for people who are interested in becoming volunteers with the organization. Those people must be comfortable flying in small aircraft, which are used during aerial searches.

Ground volunteers are also needed and part of their training could involve getting a radio licence.

Anyone interested in becoming involved can visit the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association Northern Saskatchewan page on Facebook.

(PHOTO: CASARA logo. Photo courtesy of CASARA.)