Anonymous
Source: Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue
Trail Rescue 11/14/21 – Shortly before 6pm last night, Santa Barbara County Search & Rescue responded for a report of an overdue hiker on Cold Spring trail, teams were sent to check the trailheads for the hiker’s vehicle. Teams were unable to locate the vehicle and through investigation it was determined that the hiker had returned home. While this first calling was being sorted out, around 6:15pm SBCSAR received an additional and separate call of a hiker in distress on the Cathedral Peak trail.
SBCSAR quickly diverted teams already in the field to respond to the Tunnel trailhead to begin a search for the hiker. SAR teams were joined by SB Co. Fire Engine 15 and coordinated a plan to hike up, locate and provide assistance to the hiker. While en route to the trail, teams learned that a family member of the hiker was also on the trail trying to reach the distressed hiker, the family member was contacted by teams in the creek at the trail junction for Inspiration Point and Cathedral Peak trails and encouraged to return to the operation staging area.
Teams made their way up the trail and a SBCSAR UAV with a thermal imaging FLIR camera was launched to search the trail system from above to help locate the hiker. As this was occurring, teams in the creek made voice contact with the subject in the Upper Seven Falls area, the UAV confirmed the location of the hiker and a SAR ground team from above the falls made contact with the subject. Ground teams evaluated the hiker for any injuries, provided water, food, headlamp, offered warm clothing and developed and exit plan to get the hiker out to the trailhead. The hiker was brought out and evaluated by AMR and released and taken to his vehicle.
SBCSAR would like to remind those hiking that some of our trails can be difficult to navigate and our mountainous terrain deceiving in regards to hiking ability. Please also take a fully charged phone or way to charge if needed as hiking apps wear down the battery quickly, extra water, food, clothing and lighting as you might be out longer than anticipated as was the case last night.
It is interesting to see how misinformed those commenting on this article can be.
Some real facts:
First, members of the Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue (SBCSAR) team are all first responder volunteers. Unlike the local paid “fire departments, public library, post office, and the police department, sheriff department,” not a single person in SBCSAR is paid to provide search and rescue to our community. No staff, no administrative administrators, no fundraisers, etc. Thus, absolutely NO taxpayer funds are given to this organization. In fact, most members have to put out several thousands of dollars of their own money to equip and train themselves. When the pager goes off from Dispatch to respond, members leave their family, work, recreational activities, etc. to go out on their own time, at all times of the day, to help others that may have had unfortunate turn of events. This typically is out on our trails but sometimes it is in the urban environment, looking for those with dementia that have wondered off from their homes.
Second, SBCSAR is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. They have NEVER charged for any SAR services. So even if subjects that need their services are charged by the county, it would not get back to them. SBCSAR members do not expect, nor want to be paid for their volunteer work.
Third, all the SAR vehicles and equipment you might see the team use are from donations from the community…both by individuals and other non-profit organizations.
Fourth, as a volunteer unit under the Sheriff Department, their vehicles are provided gas and maintenance through the Sheriff’s office budget. Overall, these amounts represent less than 5% of what SBCSAR needs annually to provide professional volunteer search and rescue services to the community. So, to claim hikers injured or lost require taxpayers funds to the extend implied in some of the comments just is not factual.
Fifth, SBCSAR truly values any contributions to the team received from the community, other non-profits and even those those being rescued.
Should all of us hikers take going out into the mountains more seriously…to bring basic items to help us navigate, keep warm or cool, to be sufficiently hydrated, take care of any minor injuries, etc.? Absolutely. We all need to up our personal accountability game. But that accountability also applies to comments made from emotions and not facts.
TRAILHIKER – So SBCSAR doesn’t receive a penny from the county? “As a volunteer unit under the Sheriff Department, their vehicles are provided gas and maintenance through the Sheriff’s office budget.” So you admit, their equipment is funded by the Sheriff’s office, which is paid for by our taxes. I never said they are paid like cops or firefighters. My point was to rebut those who insist that lost hikers should have to pay for their rescue, as we all do help fund this service, as you said through the Sheriff’s department. How about you climb down off that high horse before you fall too hard….
This consistent and weekly stupidity rarely happened back in the days when kids spent time in either the Girl Scouts or the Boy Scouts. In other words, the kiddos got educated on how to walk around in wilderness without getting in trouble.
Now, any twit with Apple Pay can load up at REI and go out for their InstaGram moment with no clue of what they are really up against.
I was a mountain kid taught by old guys how things worked in the wild. I spent years in Scouting and worked as an Outback Instructor for the clueless kiddos. I spend half my year living at my off-grid cabin in the Central Sierra and have often come across newbies stumbling around without any idea of what they have gotten themselves into.
There is nothing that one can buy from Patagonia or REI that replaces knowledge.
I have no issue with people looking to get outdoors – just educate yourself first would you please.
All these rescued hikers lately should make a donation to the SBCSAR for getting them out safely.
LOVEMYSB – they DO “make donations” to SBCSAR, it’s called taxes. Do you expect those who need police or fire department assistance/rescue to pay additional donations to those departments?
ok LOVEMYSB, how about you donate to the fire department, public library, post office, and the police department, sheriff department, and social services first.