Marin County Search and Rescue

10 members supported a Preventative Search and Rescue (PSAR) detail on Mt. Tamalpais on Saturday. Members patrolled the area around rock springs and pantoll. The team was able to assist a cyclist who had some minor abrasions. We typically staff these PSAR details on red flag warning days when the fire resources need to remain available to respond to any wildland fire incidents.

Building on recent LARRO and other recent rope rescue trainings, on Saturday the team expanded to more scenario-based training in the Marin Headlands. Team members practiced steep angle rescues and ambulatory patient pick offs. Newer members worked on their low angle rescue skills. In all 56 members attended the training that was split between advanced and new rope rescue students. It was a beautiful day in the headlands and everyone sharpened up a variety of skills.

** Member Spotlight** Meet Wendy D. member of the team since 2016 and our training manager. Wendy coordinates all of our trainings including everything from our Monday night meetings and monthly trainings to specialized trainings such as our rope rescue classes. Wendy has been instrumental in keeping our team safe and running during Covid, coordinating zoom meetings and planning safe outdoor trainings as restrictions allowed. Wendy says one of her favorite things about being ...a member of SAR is "the teamwork aspect, everyone brings something different to the table which is what allows us to succeed." she also says "It's not so bad being able to ride in helicopters every now and then". Wendy's piece of SAR advice is to always tell someone where you are going and when you plan to be back when recreating outdoors. Thank you Wendy for all you do! See more

This weekend, Marin Search and Rescue members completed two different trainings. On Saturday, 12 members worked on low angle rope skills in the headlands. Meanwhile, 11 members were training in the Sierras for the field portion of their Avalanche Level One class.

Sergeant Marziano started his career with the sheriff's office as a youth member of the SAR team in 1982. Congratulations on your retirement Sergeant!

Great teamwork in making this find for a missing hiker out for two nights in Mendocino County's Jackson State Forest. One of our Marin teams was put in the right area by the Mendocino Sheriff's Management team and the missing person responded to voice calls. She had hiked down a very steep ravine and was not able to continue. With a little help, she was able to hike back up to the ridge on her own.

A great team effort to rescue an injured hiker from a tough spot. At 3pm yesterday the Sheriff’s SAR unit was requested to support MMWD Rangers, Marin County and Ross Valley fire crews on an extended trail rescue on the steep Collier Springs trail above Lake Lagunitas. Due to low clouds, aircraft were not available. Multiple rope belays were required. After two hours the patient was extracted and on the way to the hospital.

Great news out of Mendocino County, subject located with extraction in progress! We dispatched 22 members who joined the SAR efforts early this morning at the request of CAL OES. Great teamwork among a number of agencies.

Field testing the latest rope rescue technology. Last weekend several members of the team were busy on Mt. Tamalpais State Park testing high angle rescue systems. Specifically, the team was evaluating two devices, the Petzl Maestro and the CMC Clutch as possible replacements for the teams current standard CMC MPD devices used in our twin tension rope rescue systems. The team simulated a high angle raise and lower by building a system a that raised and lowered rescue loads approximately 60 feet up a large Redwood tree. We evaluated how intuitive each devise was to learn how to use, ease to loading and how it operated under a heavy loads. Both performed well, but we found one that rose to the top. If you want to know more, send us a message.

The Marin County Sheriff's SAR Unit had multiple events over the weekend. We supported the North Bay IMT with plotter maps and resource unit leader tasks in the initial stages of the Glass Fire in Napa County. We had other crews on Mt. Tamalpais doing Preventative SAR (PSAR) due to the hot weather Saturday and Sunday, assisting hikers with information and water and assisting fire and rangers with one medical aid.... We also provided ongoing remote GIS planning support for fire responses elsewhere in the state.

This morning Marin SAR was requested for two missing at risk juveniles in the North San Pedro Road area of San Rafael. Over thirty SAR members joined Sheriff’s deputies and Marin Open Space Rangers searching a broad area of Santa Venetia. Clues quickly developed and about two hours into the search deputies located the pair safe in the Hamilton area of Novato. A rapid deployment of a lot of resources helps lead to a good outcome.

Marin SAR is keeping busy these days with a successful search on Mt. Tamalpais today following three days of deployment in Butte County on an extended mutual aid incident. This morning Mt. Tamalpais State Park Rangers requested our assistance with a search for a male subject with health issues who went missing out of the Bootjack area, potentially since early last night. Multiple teams were deployed across the area when we received word the subject was located by a hiker who was aware of the search and was on the lookout. When SAR teams arrived he was in good condition and reunited with his family. A big thanks to the hiker who walked him out of the hills! Sheriff's Deputies, Water District Rangers, National Park Rangers and Marin County Fire Department also assisted in the search.

This afternoon the Marin County Sheriff's SAR Unit responded to assist Mill Valley Police Department with a search for a missing 82 year old female who was at risk, last seen at her home several hours prior. Forty-eight members with two K-9 teams deployed around a large area of Mill Valley. Two hours into the search an alert citizen who had just seen the Mill Valley PD NIXLE ALERT waived down a nearby SAR team and directed them to her location. Paramedics were requested and she was evaluated and released back to her family by Mill Valley Fire Department. Great teamwork with the community led to a safe recovery.

*** UPDATE - LOCATED SAFE! *** Many thanks to everyone looking for her (and a reminder to sign up for NIXLE and Alert Marin if you haven't already - it can be a big help in these situations, and keep you safe in others!). SAR on scene with 48 members and a K9 team searching with Mill Valley Police. Please keep an eye out.

During the long Labor Day weekend, we are conducting Preventative Search and Rescue (PSAR) operations on Mt. Tamalpais. Today was a busy day on the mountain and Marin area beaches. We assisted State Parks rangers, Muir Beach, Stinson Beach and Marin County Fire Departments with two trail rescues and a medical aid on a fire road. We also patrolled the busy Cataract trail area, giving out water, directions and trail maps to multiple groups of hikers. All medical aids today were heat exposure emergencies. With temperatures over 100, we recommend people use caution and carry extra water and electrolytes when hiking until it cools down in a few days.

While you where sleeping.... Just after midnight, the Marin County Sheriff's SAR Unit deployed to the old Spaletta Ranch, on the coast between Dillon Beach and the Estero Americano, for a missing ATV rider last seen around 8PM last night. The missing subject was visiting from out of state and was not familiar with the area. An ICP was established at an old barn and teams deployed on foot, ATVs, a UTV and E-bikes. The search area was comprised of grazing lands with coastal cl...iffs and steep ravines. Conditions were cold, wet and foggy with visibility limited to 30-100 feet. At approximately 4:30AM an E-bike team traveling cross-country located the missing subject after observing a dim light and making voice contact. The missing person was in a ravine filled with dense vegetation and had sustained multiple injuries. Over the next hour plus, Marin SAR members, Marin County Sheriff's deputies, and Marin County and Bodega Fire Department personnel conducted an extended trail rescue to extricate him out of the ravine so paramedics could transport him to a local hospital. The SAR members making the find this morning were high school students. SAR volunteers spend hundreds of hours each year training hard to ensure we are able to meet demanding needs of missions like this morning's.

The Marin County Sheriff's SAR Unit remained busy this week with fire evacuation support and a preventative search and rescue (PSAR) detail. Over the last seven days, the team deployed to Santa Cruz County to provide GIS mapping support for the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office early in the CZU Complex fire response. Closer to home, we worked with the Marin County Sheriff's Office during the Woodward Fire assisting with GIS evacuation planning and evacuations. This weekend we are staffing a PSAR detail on Mt. Tamalpais for the busy Cataract trail corridor and surrounding areas. During COVID, use of Marin's parks has exponentially increased along with trailside medical responses. Meanwhile, many of our full-time first responders are busy with the Woodward Fire, so the extra help from SAR is welcome...

Remember back in February when Marin County Search and Rescue and multiple regional resources searched for Carol Kiparsky and Ian Irwin for 8 days and found the...m in Inverness? Friday, one of our search managers and an Inverness Fire Volunteer had the opportunity to meet up with Carol and Ian, give them an overview of the search and then the team went for a hike to try and determine where they got lost. This is invaluable information for our search and rescue team for future searches. We are happy to report that Carol and Ian are doing well and have fully recovered.