Everyday Heroes: Summit County's Search and Rescue Team

Twelve-year-old Garrett Bardsley was participating in a Boy Scout outing in the nearby Uinta Mountains on August 20, 2004. While out fishing, he returned to camp to change into dry socks. He went missing at this point, only 200 yards away from the rest of the group. Eleven-year-old Brennan Hawkins, another Boy Scout, went missing on June 18, 2005, after walking away from camp one night. On November 9, 2006, two boaters went missing in Wasatch County’s Strawberry Reservoir. These are just three examples of the most high-profile search and rescue operations performed by Summit County Search and Rescue (SAR) staff and volunteers.

Sadly, these aren’t the only three cases that SAR has dealt with. Due to the unique situation of having a major metropolitan area located so close to a wilderness setting, thousands of people visit this region every year, in all seasons. Some of those people get lost, hurt, or worse. The SAR team, based out of the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, is called out on varying rescue operations on an almost weekly basis throughout the year. From lost or stranded snowmobilers to overdue hikers or lost members of organized groups, the rescue teams not only sacrifice time and energy, but hundreds of thousands of dollars — none of which are ever recovered.

SAR’s work is not limited to just the Uintas. And unfortunately, its work doesn’t always result in bringing someone home alive. Avalanches, for instance, occur in populated communities and ski resort areas of Summit County. “An avalanche response is very dangerous for all involved. Though we take every precaution we can, those persons working on the debris field are at risk for subsequent slides. We are often working in a dangerous environment, knowing full well that we will be recovering a body,” says Captain Alan Siddoway, SAR bureau chief.

In the past few years, SAR has utilized countless volunteer and staff hours. The final tally for the Garrett Bardsley search, for example, was 7,148 hours of man-time. In addition to the human factor in any SAR operation, the time and resources provided by horse owners, K-9s and all-terrain equipment make up a large part of the cost. These volunteers bring a wide variety of training and skills to the search in addition to their own equipment and resources.

The expertise that goes into a search and rescue operation ranges from the broad to the specialized in such areas as search theory and documentation, probability of areas, underwater searching, technical rope rescue, winter rescue, survival skills, map and orienteering capabilities, specialized vehicle operation, wilderness first aid, incident command and critical stress management … and that’s just the human factor. K-9s, through Rocky Mountain Rescue Dogs, are trained in wilderness skills, tracking, disaster, water rescue, cadaver location, obedience, agility and avalanche search. Horses and their riders are accustomed to rugged terrain. In addition to these specially-trained SAR personnel, many people from the community take personal time to help during an operation.

Local searches have also included aircraft and satellite imaging as well as the Remotely Operated Submarine (ROV) — the first of its kind in the nation. The Strawberry Reservoir SAR, using the ROV in conjunction with the Utah Department of Public Safety, recovered the bodies of two recent victims plus three others from prior incidents ranging back to 1996. The work that was done by the SAR personnel was cutting-edge in that drowning victims had never before been recovered or brought to the surface using an ROV. The recovery of these bodies finally provided a sense of closure for the victims’ families.

According to Sgt. Steve Stokes, SAR liaison for the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, “It is not just Summit County that responds to a search. SAR in Utah is a model for agency cooperation. A call from any SAR agency will bring in other SAR groups not only from within Utah but from surrounding states. The Red Cross supports SAR missions logistically with food and comfort as well as with stress issues, if needed. Church groups and businesses are also big supporters of SAR by sending members and employees to help in a search. In addition, Wasatch Backcountry Rescue as well as the local ski resorts, continually assist us. We couldn’t do it without this support.”

With all of this help, sometimes SAR is successful, and sometimes not — but it’s not for lack of trying. A massive-scale search was conducted in the area where Garrett Bardsley was last seen with no results. The search assets included ground, air, horse, K-9 and satellite imaging. After a 10-day search in inclement weather, the search was placed into a “limited continuing status” which means that efforts would not be continued daily, but searchers returned to the area at different times and seasons to continue the search. As of summer 2006, no trace of Garrett has ever been found.

Summit County SAR responded and searched through the night for Brennan Hawkins with no results. Search efforts continued throughout the next several days. Search assets included ground personnel from organized SAR groups, volunteers, horse searchers, aircraft, K-9s and various motorized equipment. Fortunately, Brennan was located by volunteer searchers four days later in good condition.

It is important to recognize the important role Summit County SAR plays in the continual safety of not only Summit County residents, but the many visitors to our area. In recognition of the contributions to Summit County and Park City, the Park City Rotary Club named Summit County SAR the “2006 Volunteer Citizen of the Year,” an award that was long in coming.

Locals and visitors alike can support our SAR organization, not only through our own efforts to keep ourselves safe, but by donating to the Summit County SAR. “By Utah State Law, the County Sheriff is charged with managing SAR missions in his or her county with no provision for up-front funding from the state,” explains Siddoway. “The SAR is granted funding through budget line items by Summit County and supplemented with donated money and some federal grants. Utah has established an SAR reimbursement fund to which we can apply and receive a small percentage of expended moneys back. Although the funding isn’t enough to cover even the basic searches, our main concern is the safe return of loved ones.”

No matter how much funding comes to Summit County SAR, “Our biggest asset is the dedicated people who give so freely of their time,” say Summit County Sheriff Dave Edmunds.

Kathy Eckel writes occasionally and wishes her dogs were capable of being members of Rocky Mountain Rescue Dogs. Katie Mullaly has spent nearly 20 years in Summit County and as an avid hiker and biker, always carries a whistle with her so she doesn’t become another SAR statistic.

For information on how to support the Summit County Search and Rescue, contact Captain Alan Siddoway at 435.615.3551 or visit www.summitcountysar.com.