North Shore Rescue’s ‘silent hero’ Mike Dal Santo dies at 65

North Shore Rescue is marking the unexpected “passing of a hero” after the death of Mike Dal Santo, an active field member of the organization for 18 years.

In a statement, North Shore Rescue called Dal Santo its “silent hero,” a member who spent much of his time in the background and who supported both the organization and fellow members “without overt recognition.”

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Born in Surrey in 1952, Dal Santo joined North Shore Rescue as an active field member in 2000, while he was working as a software developer for Telus.

Not only did Dal Santo save people out in the mountains, he also tended to equipment such as defibrillators, sat on important committees and was a “key member” of North Shore Rescue’s trail marking program.

Though he worked largely in the background, his work involved “substantial projects that allowed the team to operate at the professional level we do,” North Shore Rescue said.

“Mike will be missed for his unwavering passion, his inherently caring nature, and the tremendous friend he was to his fellow members,” the statement said.