'We need funding': Alberta's lone volunteer underwater search team asks for support to bring closure to families
The volunteer underwater search team that responds to drownings all across Alberta is concerned it won't be able to survive without funding from the provincial government.
The Underwater Search Team responded to 19 calls in 2021 and seven so far this summer, including the death of a 14-year-old Edmonton boy in a Whitecourt, Alta., pond last Sunday.
August is typically its busiest month, and the president of the group is worried they'll be needed again this weekend as the warm weather continues in Alberta.
"The fear is that with the heat and high temperatures, I think a lot of people will be trying to get out to the lakes and I fear that we might be called out again. It would be lovely if we're not," Luke Jevne told CTV News Edmonton in Millet on Wednesday.
"I hope people play it safe, wear life jackets, take precautions and come home. That's the number one job: come home."
The Underwater Search Team has 12 volunteers, and at least four are needed per recovery mission.
They don't get paid and all the equipment is personally funded. Jevne — who hasn't been to his paying job in nearly a month while he's responded to five calls — estimates he's spent $15,000 on gear and another $15,000 on training.
He called it a "very expensive passion," but he does it to bring closure to families who've lost loved ones in drownings.
"I'm happy to do what I've done but it comes at a very big cost," he said.
"I've talked to an MLA and an MP, and again they were shocked that there's no funding for us or that we're not a full-time dive team and that's as far as it's gone."
CTV News reached out to the provincial government for comment but has not heard back.
To donate to the Underwater Search Team, click here.
"Financially and timewise, I don't know how we can make this continue. It's taken a lot of toll, not just on the bank account but the time away from family and work," Jevne said.
"We need funding."
With files from CTV News Edmonton's David Ewasuk
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Baby boom amongst nurses leads to maternity ward closure in Listowel, Ont.
The emergency room at Listowel’s hospital is open today, but come summer, their obstetrics unit will be temporarily closing its delivery rooms.
Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor qualifies Canada for Paralympics in rowing event
Former Humboldt Broncos goaltender and bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann has qualified Canada for a rowing event for the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts coming to McDonald's in U.S., but not Canada
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.