8 — Wednesday, July 29, 1998 — North Snore News ¥ a NEWS photo Paul McGrath A mishap at Lynn Canyon Park claimed the life of a 13-year-old boy last week. The accident put a stop to others cliff jumping in the area, but members of the North: Shore Rescue squad continue being swamped with other calls. Weather has rescuers hopping Robert Gaister News Reporter robert@nsnews.com A combination of exceedingly warm temperatures and ill-pre- pared hikers is keeping members of the North Shore Rescue squad hopping. During the past week, the squad's 45 members have been called upon to respond to nine calls including the death ofa 13-year-old boy who had jumped into Lynn Canyon Creek waters last Wednesday. According to Gerry Brewer, s ‘ ‘UNBEATABLE CURRENCY ‘EXCHANGE A, : HERITAGE “DUTY FREE 1.5090 arco one of the squad’s search managers, the string of incidents is “virtually a night- mare. “It has challenged the sense of humor of the members responding,” he said. The larest series of mishaps occurred on Sunday when members of the squad tationed at Grouse Mou first-aid support for an called aw, call centred around a severely dehydrated man in the Crown pass area north of Grouse Mountain. A short time later a report of two overdue hikers near Mr. Strachan called on the members to assens- ble yet again. They were stood down when the missing duo turncd up seven hours overdue “You'd think this was a job — at least ata job there's 2 relief shift coming on,” said Brewer. Tim Jones, who was also involved in several other calls over the weekend, d caution tu those trving to enjoy tre’s tons of people that are dehy- drated,” said Jones. “Sometimes it doesn’t matter how good a physical condition you're in, sour body may not be able to recover even with a high water intake.” Jo INT got. | HWY 99 at the Peace Arch er * Cail Toll Free 1-800-541-12447— a Calm slows Strait swim WV man challenges record Andrew McCredie andrew®nusnews.com SHANE Collins was up to the task, but Mother Nature had other plans for the West Vancouver man’s assault on the Strait of Georgia swimming record. On Monday, the 48-year-old Collins shaved 3n hour off his previous mark with a time of nine hours, 35 munutes. He fell just 32 minutes short of the record set by Mike Powley in 1967. “Tt was just unfortunate that I ran out of time,” Collins said yesterday morning from his home. “We didn’t get the help from the wind and just sat in slack for an hour and a halt. “Fo break records you need everything going for vou.” Collins, who writes a weekly fitness column in the North Shore News, started his third attempt across the 35-kilome- tre Strait trom Piper’s Lagoon. just north of Nanaimo. He reached shore at Sargeant’s Bay near Sechelt. Earlier this decade he swam tina wetsuit. In 1994 he sei a no-wertsuit mark of 10:35, the second fastest swim in history. Mondav’s time gives the retired television sales executive both the second and third fastest times. Despite the best efforts of Collins’ pilot boat captain Tim Shortreed aboard his sailboat [sand Prism, the lack of wind they encountered five hours into the swim slowed Collins’ swim. few hours into the swim his wife Debbie, herself an accomplished open water swimmer, called in from the Island Prism to report he was on a pace that could put him ashore in eight hours and 45 minutes ~— well below the record. Then Mother Nature entered the equation. The slight wind stopped completely. “lim had the binoculars out looking everywhere for wind but there was just nothing happening,” Collins said. With Me : sett ipt history, Collins is now turning his attention to helping Debbie prepare for an Englica Channel swim next August. In 1995 Shane Collins occame the !2th Canadian to successfully swim the channel. Last year Debbie was pulled from rough seas halfway through her first attempt. Accorumg to the old British Navyman, the Strait of Georgia hasn't seen the last of him. “Eve no doubt [ll be going back,” he said. a “yet soy Ne , SD AD a A ae, n