Radios were crackling in Nanaimo Search and Rescue’s mobile command unit, as crews looked for a downed plane near Mount De Cosmos.
It was all part of a big exercise on Saturday.
It brought together SAR teams from around the mid-island, including Arrowsmith, Cowichan and Ladysmith.
A Cormorant from 442 Squadron in Comox was in air along with people from the Civil Air Search and Rescue volunteer group.
Coast Emergency Communications, an amateur radio group, and the Snow Blazers snowmobile club were also involved.
Search Manager Ken Duncan says the scenario was designed to mimic the sort of operation that would require a multi-agency approach. And he says it was great practice for working together.
The teams in the exercise had to face the real-world challenges of terrain, communication and weather in order to carry through the mission.
