Jump to page: 1 2
12:30 AM. You’re dead asleep and something starts beeping. You’ve got work in the morning. You groggily force your eyes open and grab the beeper next to your bedside stand. A backpacker is in trouble. It’s your choice whether you respond or not. You’re not required to respond to all of them. But something pushes you to your feet anyway. Work or no work in the morning, someone needs your help right now.
You hurry and pull on more than $500 worth of clothing that was made especially for what you’re about to do. You race and load up all of your expensive gear. A radio. A harness. Your pack. A whole bunch of other stuff that cost around a thousand bucks. Another thousand dollars worth of stuff stays put in your closet for other types of rescues. You bought all the gear and clothes yourself. The Sherriff’s office required you to get it, but they didn’t help you buy it.
Three and a half hours later you find yourself face to face with the downed backpacker. He got himself into a serious pickle when he slipped off the trail edge and fell into a steep ravine. As you’re helping to harness him, he cracks a joke. “I sure hope you’re getting paid good for this.”
You turn to him and laugh. “The good news is, we all just got a ten percent raise.” The backpacker looks at you, unsure of how to respond. You just smile. “We’re all volunteers. Ten percent of zero is still zero my good man.”
This is Search and Rescue. Or at least a super simplified version of it. Also a very minor situation compared to some of the calls they receive.
But it’s what they do. They are volunteers, they buy all their own gear in most counties, and they give a LOT of their time to save others. If it means missing work, they miss work. If it means missing family time, they miss family time. They are required to train monthly. Semi-monthly the first year. A lot of these guys around here go on 30-50 rescues every year.
Last week I shared my own story of getting stuck with extreme heat exhaustion at the very top of a mountain. Search and Rescue got me out of that pickle. More than a couple dozen of them responded to the call. All of them left their families and their relaxing evenings at home to climb a God-forsaken, steep, hot mountain and rescue a hiker who was in over his head because of his own lack of education, preparedness, and over-abundance of stupidity.
I think eight of them actually made it to the top of that mountain. And of those eight, never did any of them ask how I got into that situation. They only asked themselves how they were going to get me out. They worked as a team and a brotherhood to get me the immediate medical care I needed, and nobody complained about any task they were given, no matter how big or how small. Nobody complained of the timing. Nobody complained of lost wages or time. Nobody complained about my inexperience or my stupidity.
As humans, I think we tend to look at others who are in trouble (whatever the trouble may be) and base our willingness to help on our own judgments of what got them into that situation. If the path that led them to where they are was one of stupidity, laziness, lack of education, or addiction, we often refuse our services.
- 1 2
So, I think I want to join S&R now. That sounds incredible
You are an amazing human being! It is so wonderful that you want to give back.
Please let me know where I can donate for you to buy your gear.
There should be something in every state for people to donate to Search and Rescue volunteers so they can buy their equipment!
Dan, what a courageous and selfless thing to aspire to! Since reading your writings beginning with "I'm Christian..." you have reminded me of a the guy who did "A Show With Ze Frank" http://ashow.zefrank.com/; and now another writer, Randy Cassingham, who writes http://www.thisistrue.com/, among others. Randy is a recent volunteer EMS in Colorado. Check them out, and thank God you made it off that mountain ok! Figure out what is wrong and get out there. Volunteering is a wonderful selfless service. Keep us posted, as I'm sure you will!
I am so excited to see you wanting to join in something like this... from a family of 3 volunteer fire fighters and 1 Search and Rescue (SAR) we are always trying to get good people into the program... I too have been on both sides of a rescue and also the reason I volunteer... but I dont have the mass amounts of people to tell my story too like you do... just doing what you did will help in so many ways... It will give people knowledge about the SAR and also will maybe spark some interest in what they do!!!
Best of luck to you Dan! I'm so glad to hear that you are getting such good motivation from this frightening experience. And I love this bit about not asking why. I wish there could be more of that in the world, including my own heart. Thank goodness we're all works in progress, eh?
I love this. So many people waste too much time and energy watching the news and reading the papers about the worst kind of people and their actions. I much prefer to focus on stories like yours, Dan. The unselfishness and care given by strangers, to a fellow human when when you most needed it. And that unconditional desire to give and help has spread to you. We almost always hear of negative behaviors and thinking spreading. Stories like yours and people like you and your rescuers remind me of the best of people. Thank you and thanks to all volunteers, of all kinds.
Why do you think you have an imbalance that caused your body to be in distress? Im curious as to how you will deduce that. High five for deciding to go into volunteer rescue work. There are a number of ways to provide support to local rescue volunteers and becoming one is probably your calling. Thanks for sharing your excellent and humorous writing and real life growth and experiences. Your Dads perspective is very refreshing !!
When my sister and I were kids she slammed her hand in a door. I don't remember what door or why, but I do remember that she was about six and started screaming hysterically when my mom announced that she would need stitches. I mean, what six year old wants to let someone stab them in their already extremely painful hand seven or eight times? When we got to the Emergency Room we couldn't have been happier to see a young man (coincidentally also named Noah) who volunteered at our church, in the very age level that Molly was in. He was incredible through the whole process, deftly stitching Molly's tiny hand while keeping her mind and gaze off of the wound. We were so grateful to him for making what could have been an extremely traumatic event into nothing but a tiny pink scar on her hand.
Dan - I saw your story on Thursday. I'm so glad to hear it turned out the way it did for you. My dad was climbing Mt Whitney last weekend, and didn't make it off the mountain. He had a massive heart attack. I am so grateful to his friends, strangers, SAR, and the sheriff for all the work and love they put in to try to save him. I know his passing was almost as hard on them as on his family. I hope you pursue your new calling and can be such a blessing for other hikers such as yourself. Thank you for sharing your story as well.
About a year ago, a good friend had a medical emergency at work. Watching it happen, and not being able to help, was torture for me and our mutual friend. To combat our helplessness, we've joined the Emergency Response Team here at work. It's immensely rewarding to be in a position to help someone when they need it. I'm so glad you've heard your calling, Dan!
My husband volunteered with north Idaho SAR for several years...he was also a volunteer EMT. I remember several times where he was out all night searching for snowmobilers that were lost up in the mountains. I think it is a great thing to be inspired to do. =)
@stephdavidson libraries could do well to adopt this attitude re patrons. too many times undergrads esp judged not worth helping b/c ...
Good luck and I applaud you for wanting to be a part of something that is so greatly needed! Just be careful LOL
My dad is a member of a volunteer EMS organization. The calls aren't usually as intense and involved as Search and Rescue, but there is definitely the aspect of leaving in the middle of something whether a job or a family dinner. I believe that the families of the volunteers are just as amazing. There are many times my mom was left to finish something that my dad started, putting the kids to bed and the like. And to me she is my hero just as much as my dad is.
While I admire and respect the S&R crew, I know I could never do that job. I have a very weak stomach. I had a tough time just cleaning and redressing wounds for my kids when they injured themselves. Not to mention that I could never pass a physical test for anything of that nature due to the rare disease I have. But again, good luck, glad you did not end up worse off than what you were, and glad you made it down and found inspiration. Blessings.
I have friends who have done the SAR thing with their dogs, and gotten certified for dog assisted rescues. Probably wouldn't have helped in your case, but I know they do use service animals. It sounds like someone had a SAR horse for the remaining folks. My dad, and old Eagle Scout, told me that he never hiked more than an hour or two "day trip" without a tent. He'd carry a 50 lb pack and 48 of it would be water. The other two pounds were food, socks, and the tent/tarp. Of course, his days of hiking seriously were before cell phones and gps and all that.
Hey guys, thanks for the heads up, fixed the link!
So glad your alright Dan that was certainly an eye opener for you.
I am in the process of joining a SAR team here after a 8 year hiatus. I was a member of another team previously. Your blog reminded me why I missed it so much. I'm glad you're taking the plunge, you'll love it and never regret it.
Go for it!!!
You gotta click on the "2" not the "next page". I got the same error.
I have a friend who was sparked to help others after we had some crazy fires in CA. He joined Search and Rescue, and seems to really like it and really get a lot from it. Good luck, Dan! Just think of who you could be saving!
There's a reason for everything. Go for it :-)
Hi Dan, I can't access the second page of your post...
good for you Dan.
My step dad belongs to the Coast Guard Search and rescue. He loves what he does. Good luck to you Dan. Thank you for what you are about to do. I was also saved by search and rescue a very long time ago when I was a little girl and fell down a steep ravine. I had knocked myself unconscious. I am still grateful to this day. I owe my life to the people who came down to rescue me. Enjoy your journey, and never give up!!