By Mark Rackay, Montrose County Sheriff’s Posse
Anyone who writes must also read. Author Stephen King once said, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time or the tools to write. Simple as that.”
Reading allows you to witness the possibilities of the craft. I read for research, and to accumulate knowledge about what has been done and how it was done. I also enjoy and respect the classics, especially those related to the outdoors.
Whenever I am kicked back reading, my wife of many years will pad into the room, offering suggestions of more useful things I could be doing. I have a few counter suggestions I could offer, but in the interest of marital bliss, I remain silent, something I am not particularly known for.
One of the things I read about recently was a search and rescue mission that occurred over a two-day period at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. One hiker died and 33 others required rescue in extremely hot temperatures. The deceased hiker paid the full price, plus tax, when he experienced a heat-related illness at temperatures that soared above 100 degrees. The search team also evacuated five of the hiker’s companions.
The following day, a group of 28 hikers from a small private school called for a rescue, on the same trail where the hiker passed the day before. The group consisted of three adults and 25 children with special needs, and the group was woefully unprepared for the heat.
Park rangers gave the group citations for creating a hazardous condition and hiking without a large group permit. The Park Service immediately closed the trail, and a couple others in the area, until the temperatures come back to a reasonable point. They probably closed to give their staff a rest.
We had an incident a couple years ago that involved a party of four unprepared hikers who went down into the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. One hiker broke an ankle and needed evacuation. The response involved two Montrose deputies, two Olathe police officers, seven members of Olathe Fire, one fellow citizen with several horses, and a dozen members of the Montrose Sheriff’s Posse.
That day, the temperature was just above the century mark. Over the course of about nine hours, the injured man and three companions were brought up, all suffering from heat illnesses. After the four were loaded into air-conditioned vehicles, filled up with IV fluids, and left the scene, it was time to take care of the responders.
At least four of them suffered from heat illness and needed IV assistance. When folks are physically exerting themselves, carrying equipment up and down the canyon under treacherous and scorching conditions, a couple bottles of Gatorade just won’t cut it. I cannot possibly imagine what the Arizona SAR team went through rescuing 28 people. We had 24 responders for four victims and were stretched pretty thin.
The thing to remember about search and rescue teams in Colorado, and many other states, is they are almost exclusively made up of volunteers. That means every one of them does this on their own time, and usually with their own money. These folks all have jobs, lives, families, spouses, mortgages, bills, taxes, the “full catastrophe” according to Zorba the Greek.
SAR members have a passion for helping people in need in the great outdoors. Their teams require the assistance of the public, in the form of donations, to exist. Members have to provide most of their own equipment, and we all know that outdoor equipment isn’t cheap. A decent pair of hiking boots will push 300 bucks these days, and good packs closer to 400. Many use their own vehicles and ATVs. And all that equipment needs to be maintained.
Also consider the time away from family and work. Many incidents will run around the clock for days, even weeks in some circumstances. It takes a very understanding boss to go along with that, and an understanding spouse. Then there is the training. Most members will spend more time training than being on actual calls.
I read about a ranger team in New York that works in the Adirondacks and Catskills, and from 2012 to 2022, state rangers found and rescued more than 5,400 people. That boils down to over 300 rescues a year, almost one a day. The team works 24/7 to keep up with it. Talk about on-the-job training.
One particular trail travels 16.2 miles, leading to the tallest peak in New York, where it intersects with trails to other peaks. The majority of rescues occur along this very rugged trail and are mostly performed on foot. Their longest response ever was for 578 days, searching for a missing 25-year-old man.
Some search and rescue teams have more members, especially those around big cities. The larger teams can organize specialty teams within their membership. There can be a marine/boat unit, swiftwater team, ATV team, K-9 team, rope team, tactical team, foot team, climbing team, and many others if there enough people. This really helps share the load when you can break it out, calling out the teams specifically needed for the incident at hand.
The local teams here in Montrose and Delta County don’t have the number of members to call on. Montrose County Sheriff’s Posse has around 20 members on the East End, and about that many on the West End. The numbers for Delta County Search and Rescue are similar.
When the numbers are small, each member has to train in several disciplines. When a incident requires a foot team, ATV team and a tactical team, you will probably see the same smiling faces. Our saving grace is the smaller locales don’t get the number of calls a populated area like New York sees.
We also have what is called an agency assist. Many times, SAR teams from area counties will come and assist other SAR teams in need. Delta, Mesa, Gunnison, Ouray, San Miguel, and Montrose, has all had many joint responses over the years. We could not accomplish our goals without all of us helping each other.
I have met search and rescue people around the world as I travel and always take time to talk with them. The one universal bond I have found is dedication. This group is collectively the most dedicated and passionate about their job as any group I have ever seen, and we are very fortunate they are there.
You will see tired and worn-out SAR members after a mission, but you won’t see them complain. They love a happy outcome, but they know that as each call drags on, the chance of a safe return for the missing person decreases. That’s why they stay and keep searching. The Montrose County Sheriff’s Posse has a challenge coin that says it all: “Until they are home, we will not rest.”
In the interest of marital bliss and mutual compromise, I don’t lay around and read in front of my wife anymore, especially while she is working. Instead, I now have several hiding places to go to. God bless SAR teams everywhere.
This article was first published in a column called Tips from the Posse in the Montrose Daily Press. Mark Rackay is a regular columnist for the Montrose Daily Press, Delta County Independent, and several other newspapers, as well as a feature writer for The Nautical Mile, and other saltwater fishing magazines. He is an avid hunter and world class saltwater angler, who travels around the world in search of adventure and serves as a director and public information officer for the Montrose County Sheriff’s Posse. Personal email is elkhunter77@icloud.com For information about the Posse call 970-765-7033 (leave a message) or email info@mcspi.org
