Margot Goslawski is determined to get people home.
In her third year as a volunteer with Mission Search and Rescue (MSAR), Goslawski has been willing to learn and adapt to every situation.
She pours a lot of time into MSAR, whether it’s attending weekly training on Thursdays, taking extra courses, or sitting on the board of directors.
Goslawski was drawn to MSAR because she’s always been heavily involved in outdoor activities and interested in the type of training they provide.
“Also, working in a team to help bring people home safely and help find people who may be lost [was a draw],” she said.
The toughest part of the role is not being able to find someone, according to Goslawski.
“There’s always a reason why a situation is called off, but it’s super frustrating for me to go home and just sit there and wonder where the person could possibly be, because you want to keep looking for them,” she said.
Suicide calls and serious injuries are the most difficult, she says. However, the team works quickly to hand injured patients off to higher care.
“I love our team. I love the fact that we all can get together in a moment’s notice and adapt to any situation that we’re thrown into to help bring someone home,” she said.
Goslawski says on-call work can be challenging at times as well, especially middle-of-the-night calls with work the following day.
When she first joined MSAR, Goslawski was out of school for years and self-employed.
“I’m usually super independent, so it was really interesting for me to take a step back and learn how to be a student again and learn how to adopt their processes,” Goslawski said.
The province recently provided MSAR with a community gaming grant worth $118,000 to match fundraising the organization already completed for a new jet boat. The boat should be ready for MSAR to use soon.
Goslawski says there’s also always a need for more first-aid equipment.
“Anything that can help us get someone out faster and smoother,” she said.
READ MORE: Mission Search and Rescue receive funding for new jet boat