source Hat tip: Ernie Coffman
Sierra Madre Search and Rescue provided the following information about select incidents in June. Are you surprised by the month's increase in calls for assistance?
Injured Hikers: The afternoon of June 3rd turned out to be very busy for SMSR. The afternoon started with the rescue of a hiker suffering from chest and abdominal injuries near Hermit Falls. While rescuers were responding to the initial call, rescuers received word of two hikers in distress near Roberts Camp. Shortly after the conclusion of the first two calls, SMSR was paged to respond to the Sturtevant Falls area for a hiker who had suffered a severe ankle injury while hiking with her family. Personnel from the Los Angeles County and the Sierra Madre Fire Departments joined SMSR in treating and transporting a total of four people to local hospitals.
Overdue Hikers: Even though the 3rd had already been a busy day, it wasn’t over for rescuers. Early in the evening, SMSR was requested as a mutual aid resource to support the Montrose Search and Rescue Team in the search for 4 overdue backpackers in the Switzer Falls area. Search crews worked late into the night before bivouacking in the field and resuming search assignments at dawn. The subjects were successfully located just before noon on the 4th and escorted out of the area.
June 23rd – A repeat of June 3rd? With the 3rd having kicked off June as the busiest month of 2012 to date, the 23rd began to shape up as another very busy day ultimately resulting in three back to back operations.
Injured Hiker at Chantry Flats: On the first operation the Team responded to the Upper Winter Creek trail above Chantry Flat to evacuate a hiker with an injured ankle 2 miles up canyon from the trailhead.
Eaton Canyon Rescue: As members were returning to town, the Team was requested to assist Altadena Mountain Rescue with a rescue in Eaton Canyon.
Missing Man Found Deceased: At the conclusion of the Eaton Canyon assist, SMSR received another mutual aid request from the Montrose Search and Rescue Team in the search for Ertug Ergun, a hiker who had gone missing in the Stoneyvale Campground area. Team members responded at “first light” on 6/24 to search several canyons in the Mt. Lukens area. SMSR personnel continued to join the search effort throughout the week. Sadly, Mr. Ergun was located deceased on June 30.
This does not correspond with this posting but I am wondering does all other search agencies require 30 hours of continuing education a year to let us participate or just JOCOSAR. I am a EMT responsible for saving lives and our continuing ed hours are not this stiff. I think it would be interesting for you to post a story about this subject and let us see how many organizations chime in with their requirements to be active SAR members. It is possible to make so many rules and requirements that it chases members away.
Posted by: Bill Hickerson | July 08, 2012 at 09:27 PM
The 30 hours of continuing training required for a JoCoSAR member to be field-eligible is a requirement set by to OSSA (Oregon State Sheriffs' Association), not JoCoSAR. I suspect in our unit the major benefit of the requirement is that it makes members show up more than the just for the monthly meeting.
An EMT on a SAR team is an MVP.
Posted by: SR84 | July 09, 2012 at 11:37 AM
Seeing continuing ed hours for your paying job expand, a hobby like being a firefighter / EMT, a S&R member involved with any specialty group, while still living a life of your own eventually catches up with you. The separate organizations do not see or care about the many other things you may be involved in your life when they increase training requirements, even slightly too them, on the individual. Do we have any stats that show the benefits of more training has allowed us to find people, or find them quicker? More rules are easy to heap upon an individual but are they truly worth it in the long run?
Posted by: Bill Hickerson | July 10, 2012 at 10:53 PM