20 Dec 03
127 searchers from Ridge Meadows, Mission,
Central Fraser Valley, Chilliwack, Kent/Harrison and
Surrey SAR groups along with members from
Municipal and Royal Canadian Mounted Police,
Coast Guard, and the Fire Department responded to
a boating accident in the Fraser River near the
Mission/Abbotsford Bridge. 12 of the 13 pleasure
craft occupants were rescued immediately. An
extensive search of the shoreline and water was
conducted with assistance from Coast Guard dive
teams and RCMP Air II overflight however no
evidence of the missing boater was found.
Searchers were stood down by RCMP.
13 Dec 03
On December 13, 2003 at 9:20 AM, a man and woman returned to their parked car after a walk in Bear Creek Park located at 88th Avenue and King George Highway when they noticed a grey Mercedes in the parking lot with the engine running and the headlights on. Upon closer examination they saw a man sitting behind the wheel who appeared unconscious. The couple called 911 and when paramedics and police arrived the man was found to be dead as a result of apparent gunshot wound(s). Officers secured the scene and called out the RCMP's Integrated Homicide Investigations Team (IHIT) to investigate the death as a homicide. In addition, Surrey Search and Rescue were called to the scene to assist with a grid search of the surrounding area in the hopes of locating evidence.
The victim has been identified as 36-year-old Surrey resident Gurwinder Singh Bath. He is not known to police and a motive for the homicide is not yet known.
Investigators believe the homicide took place at the location where the car was found. The time of the homicide is not known and investigators are asking to speak with anyone who was in the parking lot of Bear Creek Park beside the Surrey Arts Centre overnight who saw a parked grey Mercedes with the engine running and the headlights on.
This is the fourth homicide of the year in Surrey. Homicides are down this year in Surrey by 66% compared to the same time period last year.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Cst Rob Burrett of IHIT at 604 598-4511, or, if you wish to remain anonymous call Crimestoppers at 604 669-TIPS.
12 Dec 03 Surrey SAR members responded to locate and
retrieve an injured biker in the John Oliver Park area.
SAR was stood down when Police traced the 911
call and determined the report of injury to be a
prank.
7 Dec 03
On December 7, 2003, at 5:04 PM, RCMP received a report of a missing 90-year-old male who suffers from Alzheimers and other mental disorders. The man was last seen at his Guildford area group home by the staff at 3:30 PM. Due to the man’s age and mental condition, Surrey Search and Rescue, Central Fraser Valley Search and Rescue, Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue, RCMP Police Dog Services, and Auxiliary Constables assisted regular police members with the search. Langley RCMP also assisted by bringing in the FLIR heat seeking equipment. All the usual bulletins were issued to hospitals, transit and CN police, cabs and Translink.
Extensive patrols were made in the area which included foot patrols of the ditches, sidewalks and wooded paths. Local store and business owners were interviewed and asked to contact police if they saw the elderly man. By 7:00 PM Surrey Search and Rescue team members set up at 113th Ave and 138th Street where they deployed members in a grid pattern search of the area. A short time later, the Langley RCMP FLIR team and Auxiliary Constables also got involved with the extensive search.
Finally, at 9:34 PM, the Search and Rescue team ground crew located the man in blackberry bushes at Hilton and 134th Street. The lightly clothed elderly man was on the verge of hypothermia and transported to Surrey Memorial Hospital for treatment. He was accompanied by his relatives and released early this morning.
26 Nov 03
12 Surrey SAR members responded to search for a
missing Alzheimer's patient in White Rock. RCMP
located the person in good condition.
28 Oct 03
18 Surrey SAR members responded to conduct a
shoreline search of the Crescent Beach area
following report of a vessel in distress near Cliffside.
Search was stood down after SAR members were
advised that a Coast Guard auxiliary vessel had
been mistaken for a boat in distress.
21 Oct 03
16 Surrey SAR and 6 Central Fraser Valley SAR
members responded to search for a missing
Alzheimer's patient that wandered away from the
family home. The subject was located on the sky
train after becoming lost and spending the day riding
the train.
19 Oct 03
6 Surrey SAR members assisted RCMP to transport
a despondent male from an island in the middle of
Surrey Lake. The male was transported back in
RCMP custody and taken to hospital for observation.
7 Sept 03 -
20 Surrey and 9 Central Fraser
Valley SAR members
responded to search the Martin
Drive area of South Surrey for
a person diagnosed with
Alzheimer’s Disease who
walked away from home and
did not return. Search is
ongoing
4 Sept 03 -
6 Surrey SAR members
responded to rescue a person
reported to have jumped from
the Pattullo Bridge into the
Fraser River. The deceased
subject was recovered by a
passing fishing vessel and SAR
was stood down.
2 Sept 03 -
18 Surrey SAR members
responded to search for a
missing male from the area of
88A Avenue in Surrey. RCMP
located the missing person in
South Surrey and SAR was
stood down.
8 June 03 -
20 Surrey SAR members responded
to search for a 51-year-old male that
failed to return to a small care facility.
Subject was located in good
condition and returned to the facility.
8 June 03 -
20 Surrey SAR members responded
to search for a missing 7-year-old
female in the White Rock beach pier
area. Subject was located alive and
well by her parent.
30 May 03 -
12 Surrey and 10 Central Fraser
Valley SAR members
responded to search for a 6 year
old who was reported missing
from her school in Whalley.
SAR concluded when the girl
was located having been picked
up from school by her mother,
unnoticed.
13 May 03 -
18 Central Fraser Valley SAR,
12 Surrey, 2 Ridge Meadows,
Coquitlam, 10 Mission,
Chilliwack, 1 Kent/Harrison, 1
Coquitlam, Lions Bay, 1
Pemberton, 3 Squamish, 1
Whistler, 5 North Shore, and 5
Sunshine Coast SAR members
responded to search for an 89
year old male who went for a
walk in Campbell Valley Park
and did not return. He was
located in critical condition after
spending the night outdoors and
was transferred to Langley
Hospital.
30 April 03 - 5 Surrey SAR members
responded to search for a
missing 80 year old woman
suffering from Alzheimer’s who
wandered away from her
residence. She was located
alive and well at a local hospital.
23 April 03 -
10 Coquitlam SAR, 2 Ridge
Meadows SAR, 3 North Shore
and 1 Surrey SAR member
responded to search for a
missing female in the Coquitlam
River area. She was located and
turned over to RCMP.
