Volunteer Search and Rescue Teams from Montezuma, Dolores and San Miguel Counties have been busy this summer.
Whether it is searching for lost hikers, rescuing river runners in distress, or responding to crashes on four-wheel drive passes, these trained volunteers are there to help when someone’s day goes awry. They partner with local fire and sheriff departments as well during rescue events Here are a few local incidents.
In mid August, a hiker lost his way after summiting Hesperus Peak. He had taken a minor fall and broken his GPS device, according to officials. The hiker triggered a personal locater beacon, and was found by rescuers unharmed at the base of the talus slope.
His personal locater beacon transmitted his location to the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center via satellites, and Cortez dispatchers were notified.
“Remember never rely on just one device, carry a map and compass as well as your GPS,” said Matt Barnes, a volunteer with Montezuma County Search and Rescue.
MCSAR also conducted a search along with other agencies for Ramon Brown, an elderly man with dementia, who went missing July 14 near Dolores. Brown, 86, walked away from his home at Road 26 and T in the Dolores-Lebanon area. Many searchers from many areas searched for him for several days.
K-9 Search and Rescue and Southwest Colorado’s Southwest Incident Management team redirected their nearby training conference to facilitate the missing person search.
Brown has not been located, and is still considered missing. It is possible he caught a ride out of the area. Brown was last seen wearing brownish-gray wrangler jeans, a light blue long sleeve shirt, dark hat, and black shoes. He was last seen on foot in the 16000 block of Road 26.
Please call Cortez Dispatch at (970) 565-8441 with any information on his whereabouts.
The search is in limited continuous mode, which means it is suspended unless further evidence becomes available.
Montezuma Search and Rescue continues to develop capabilities for search and rescue efforts. Mock search and rescue exercises on McPhee Reservoir recently took place with two boats, one with a hoist. Volunteers practiced pulling people from the water. The agency never charge for rescues, but it does on donations. If you would like to support the ongoing development of its services please contact them on Facebook or send donation to Montezuma County Search and Rescue, PO Box 81, Cortez CO., 81321.
Dolores County Search and RescueOn July 29. DCSAR teamed up with the West Fork Volunteer Fire Department, Rico Fire Department, Dolores Sheriff Office, and the Dunton Resort, to search and locate a missing 14-year old hiker on the Geyser Spring Trail off the West Fork Road.
Geyser Springs is the only true geyser in Colorado. Be cautious, the geyser, which bubbles up every 15-20 minutes, emits toxic hydrogen sulfide.
On Aug. 17, rescuers and bystanders responded to a Jeep that rolled off Tomboy Road on “The Stairs” section by Ingram Falls, blocking all traffic except motorbikes. Black Bear Pass was closed temporarily to allow safe removal of the vehicle. The driver, a man in his 40s from Des Moines, was the only occupant and sustained minor injuries.
On August 18, a driver of a Jeep went off Tomboy Road on the way to Telluride, rolling 450 feet, the Sheriff’s Office reported. The driver and passenger from Montrose were critically injured and were transported to St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction.
A multi-agency technical rope rescue with threats of rockfall was required to rescue the couple, both 72 years old.
More than 35 people including Telluride Fire Protection District EMS and Fire personnel, San Miguel Sheriff’s Deputies, San Miguel Search and Rescue and willing bystanders participated in the nearly five-hour mission.
It’s possible the driver was distracted by a narrowing curve and scenery, officials said. Rocks were placed at the section as a visual reference.
“While it’s still “safe” to travel Imogene Pass, we want to remind drivers that there is distracting scenery, and they must keep their eyes on the road at all times. It just takes one moment for disastrous consequences,” according to a statement by the San Miguel Sheriff’s office.