An additional three members responded to Butte while the first team was deployed with Placer Mountain Rescue and Tahoe Nordic on an assignment to cover down-slope from the vehicle and large creek drainage. About four hours into their assignment a CHP helicopter located the four missing members about 2.5 miles from their vehicle. They had taken shelter in a large pipe were in good condition except for some frost bite and were quickly flown out by CHP. Numerous other teams supported Butte County in this search, including Bay Area Mountain Rescue, CARDA, Glenn, Tehema, Shasta and Contra Costa County. See related stories.

Seven members including a K-9 team responded for a Type 1 Alpine search team request from OES for a missing father and his three children that were missing since Sunday after they went looking for a Christmas tree near Inskip in remote Butte County. Once members arrival on scene, they were deployed at night in freezing rain for a five hour assignment down slope from the vehicle. The team reported four feet of new powder and poor visibility, making travel very difficult and GPS navigation essential. Snow condition were too deep to work the search dog.

Eleven cadaver K-9 teams from CARDA, thirty-four Marin SAR ground searchers and overhead with a dozen rangers and officers with National Park Service, State Parks, Mill Valley PD and the Sheriff’s department conducted another extensive search around the possible sightings on Mt. Tam. With a focus on working the cadaver dogs, teams were deployed to cover the top and bottom of numerous drainage’s and other areas well off trail. A number of assignments deployed teams down or up drainage’s that were nearly impassable, requiring teams to crawl on their hands and knees through brush for long periods. There were no alerts or clues during the eight hour effort.

Over a hundred searchers, including an 11 member fire crew from Marin County Fire, 70 IRS agents, a dozen of Rangers from MMWD, NPS, Openspace, State Parks and Park Police and fifteen Marin SAR members completed 45 assignments over a wide area of Mt. Tamalpais. Search areas included around the first sighting and a second possible sighting at the West Point Inn on upper Mt. Tamalpais. Other locations on Blithedale ridge, Corte Madera Ridge, East Peak and Middle Peak were also covered extensively. No further clues were located. Also supporting the Search was a helicopter from the California DOJ out of Sacramento and two trailing K-9 teams from Contra Costa County. Link to Marin IJ Article.

Twenty-four Marin SAR members responded for a 25 y.o. missing female last believed to be hiking or running on Mt. Tamalpais on Monday morning. She was reporting missing Monday night to Mill Valley Police after family members and friends received text messages indicating she was despondent over the recent breakup with a boyfriend. Ruiz is a Special Enforcement Agent with the IRS and her duty weapon was also missing. Twenty seven assignments were carried out Tuesday afternoon. Also supporting the search were about 30 IRS agents, six MVPD officers and over a dozen Rangers from the Water District, State Parks and National Park Service along with a trailing K-9 team from San Mateo County Sheriff. One possible sighting came in that placed her on the lower Railroad grade near Mill Valley.

Eleven Marin SAR members responded for a shooting incident in the Bell Marin Keys area of Novato. Members were committed for three hours each.

Six members assisted National Park Rangers with recovering bags of oil contaminated debris that could only be accessed by lowering members down a 300 foot cliff on the Marin Headlands. Members set up a full low angle rescue set up and lowered a litter and three attendants to collects materials and then hauled them back up. The operations went for two full evolutions. Other supporting agencies included the US Coast Guard, the Unified Command Team for the spill operations and private contractors. Press Release

Twelve SAR members supported medic for an estimated 700 riders on Thanksgiving day. Members responded on two separate medical aids with Rangers and Fire Units. The first was a biker with a broken ankle on the Pine Mountain loop and the other was for a female rider with a broken collar bone on the Repack Fire Road. Members logged four hours each.

Forty-four Marin SAR members responded for a seven hour search for a missing 75 y.o. woman with dementia who left her families house in the early morning hours. The woman had moved to Mill Valley recently and spoke little English. Teams worked 26 assignments covering a wide area around eastern Mill Valley and Sausalito. Sonoma Henry 1, Two K-9 teams with CARDA, Air Patrol, Mounted Posse and deputies also assisted. She was located in good condition near the Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza by US Park Police around 9:30 PM after motorists saw her attempting to get a ride over the bridge. See Marin IJ article

Eleven SAR members started for Contra Costa County for a missing 85 y.o. male who was also the former Sheriff of Contra Costa County. As members were responding the subject was located alive and in good shape. Numerous other teams responded to assist Contra Costa SAR for the incident including CARDA, Alameda, Monterey, Napa and Sacramento.

Twenty-six members responded for a 39 y.o. mountain biker overdue by four hours from a ride on the Tamrancho single track bike loop. As teams were preparing to deploy from the C.P; the subject was located by Fairfax PD with a large group of night riders who were just wrapping up a long night ride. Poor communication and fearing the worst of the part of the family resulted in the 10:00PM activation. All members were committed for two hours.

Four Marin SAR members with two Sheriff’s Air Patrol pilots responded to another ELT the AFRCC gave as three miles south of Novato. Coordinating with the local CAP wing, we found no signal with ground teams or aircraft. AFRCC reported the signal ceased to be picked up from satellites and all units cleared. SAR members logged two hours each.

Three Marin SAR members and the Sheriff’s Air Patrol responded for an Emergency Locator Transponder (ELT) coming from a plane picked up by AFRCC satellites in the Novato area at 0630 hrs. Using direction finding equipment working off a Lat/Long provided by the AFRCC, the beacon was located in a plane, non-distress, at Gnoss Field in Novato. Members were committed for three hours.

Nine Marin SAR members with K-9 teams from Contra Costa, CARDA and rangers from Marin Openspace and the Water District searched additional areas Tuesday. A large contingent of family and friends of the subject also posted flyers and searched many areas as well. No clues were found. The next morning several social workers attempting to locate a homeless man, located the missing subjects body concealed in some woods below San Rafael Hill. The cause of death was not accidental and foul play was ruled out. He was found outside the primary search areas. Link to article:http://www.ktvu.com/news/14314118/detail.html

Twenty-two SAR members responded for a missing 46 y.o. male last seen leaving his house the previous morning on a mountain bike. The missing subject was known to be despondent. Teams searched Open Space lands near his house and other locations he was know to frequent. The management team worked with San Rafael PD investigators conducting interviews and issued a press release in hopes of generating leads. No clues were located day 1.

Marin SAR responded 10 members to assist NPS Rangers in searching the area where a vehicle was found over a cliff, about 500 feet below an access road. Members searched for potential victims and helped rangers locate a VIN number, assisting the determining the vehicle had been stolen. Members encountered dense 8 foot high brush and poison oak during the two hour mission on Coyote Ridge above Tennessee Valley. No victims were located

Marin SAR was notified of an ELT sounding near Novato. The Civic Air Patrol felt it was probably coming from Gnoss Field and the Sheriff’s Air Patrol advised they would check the area. The Sheriff’s Air Patrol later requested SAR to respond for an active ELT near port Sonoma. As SAR was responding, they advised they found an airplane off the runway Schellville airport in Sonoma County. Sonoma County dispatch was requested to respond.

Four members after completing their assignment on the Hoggard search were deployed to the base of El Capitan to assist with the carryout of a Spanish Climber who sustained an open fracture of his leg during a fall. After the climber was lower in a litter about 1800 feet to the base of the cliff by YOSAR, the team assisted with about a half mile carryout around midnight to the road.

A total of nine Marin SAR members were deployed in two teams on large area search assignments in the area were Hoggard’s shelter was located the previous day by the Mono team. On day two, over 60 ground searchers and helicopter 551 were assigned to the search. About 8:30 AM Marin Team A15 located Hoggard near the Fissures on the South rim of the Yosemite Valley. Hoggard was dehydrated, hungry and fatigued, but otherwise in good condition. Helicopter 551 landed and flew with one Marin member as medic to an LZ adjacent to the Yosemite medical clinic. Hoggard had kept moving each day and the morning he was found, had finally relocated a trail. Other responding SAR teams included Mono, Merced, Mariposa, Fresno, L.A. County, China Lake, Ventura and Sierra Madre.

Four members responded on a Type 1 Alpine SAR team request for Ron Hoggard, the 58 y.o. City Manager of Corcoran, California. Hoggard had been missing for two days after he did not return from a day hike Friday afternoon. Members were assigned a large area search segment off Glacier Point Road. Late into Sundays search operation, a Mono County team located a shelter and tracks. Also during this operational period, YOSAR had to re-task resources to a technical rescue on the nose of El Capitan.

Three Type 1 Marin SAR members and two Contra Costa K-9 teams and five Contra metal detector specialists supported NPS Rangers with a special search detail in very dense vegetation that included nettles, poison oak and steep terrain. Search was successful. Members logged eight hours each.

County Fire requested SAR for a trail rescue for an injured hiker near Carson Falls north of Bolinas-Fairfax Road. As server members arrived at the staging area near the rescue, SAR was canceled as CHP was able to long line the subject out of the drainage

Four members worked two very challenging assignments that required them to climb over 3000 vertical feet on day two. No significant clues were located and the search was scaled back due to weather impacting helicopter operations. At the peak of the search, over 130 personal and two helicopters were committed to the incident. At this time, she remains missing despite a massive effort and investigation. On 8/13/07 Bonaventura was located about 1.5 miles west of the PLS in a creek drainage by a backcountry ranger.

Eight members worked around Fletcher Lake and where then released from the incident. Four fresh members responded that day for a 48 hour assignment. No clues were found. Other responding SAR teams supporting NPS included Bay Area Mountain Rescue, Mariposa, Fresno, Santa Clara, Ventura and Contra Costa.

A total of 10 Marin members were deployed in three teams on large area search assignments in around the Point Last seen and beyond. All assignments included boulder fields and other tough areas, including working the edge of a working wildland fire. No clues were located and eight members bivouacked at Vogelsang High Sierra Camp for another day of searching.

Two SAR members responded for a missing 80 y.o female hiker who went missing the day before near Emeric Lake about two miles south of Vogelsang High Sierra Camp in the Yosemite Backcountry at 10,000 feet. The woman was known to have dementia, but was in excellent physical condition but poorly equipped for an overnight out. Marin SAR supported the Plans Section in mapping and building the Incident Action Plan for the big push the next morning.

A dozen SAR members started for the Matt Davis trail above Stinson Beach to support Stinson Beach and County Fire on a rescue of an injured hiker. SAR was canceled prior to arrival.

Fifteen Marin SAR members responded just before midnight for a missing 17 y.o. autistic male. Members work several assignments and supported management functions before turning the search over to fresh teams that arrived at first light. The subject was located by SAR teams around 9:00 AM the next morning in good condition. The subject had apparently been moving the entire night, hiding from searchers.

Eight Marin SAR members responded to Search and Open space preserve above Lucas Valley for a missing despondent woman after her car was located near a trailhead. Less than an hour into the search the subject was located by SAR resources deceased.

Fourteen Marin SAR members assisted NPS Rangers with an evidence search in Little Yosemite Valley located in the backcountry above 6000 feet. Members logged three hours each and backpacked in overnight for the operation.

Marin SAR started at 0800 for San Pedro Valley County Park for a stranded hiker in a steep Canyon above the City of Pacifica. The hiker had been stranded all night despite several rescue attempts through the late evening and early morning hours. Thirteen members were just leaving the County when we received work an Air National Guard helicopter was able to rescue the subject despite foggy conditions. Other responding agencies included Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit, San Mateo Sheriff’s ESD and Pacifica Fire.

SAR was requested to respond for a missing 6 y.o. female at Stinson Beach after a 90 minute hasty search by deputies and NPS Rangers. Shortly after starting response, the child was located by a deputy.

Over five days, six to eight SAR members assisted each day with emergency services at the Marin County Fair. SAR responded to twenty-four missing child incidents and assisted event staff and San Rafael Fire on twelve medical aids.

At midnight four members responded two ELT search teams to look for an ELT activation on Wolf Back Ridge above Sausalito. Teams worked closely with Civil Air Patrol Units (CAP). The signal was very difficult to track. Additional efforts by Marin SAR, CAP and Sheriff’s air patrol through the next morning were also unsuccessful. At around 1000 hrs, the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) advised the signal had ceased. AFRCC determined the signal was most likely coming from a boat along the Sausalito waterfront. Six members participated in the search.

Marin SAR started for a female hiker down on the Lost trail above Muir Woods, about a mile from the trailhead. Shortly after callout, SAR was canceled when Sonoma Henry 1 became available for a long line operation. Patient was seriously injured and fell off the trail.

Eight members responded to assist is an evidence search related to a homicide in the Cannel Area of San Rafael. Members where on scene for two hours.

Fourteen SAR members responded for a missing 12 y.o. female who ran away from her house several hours earlier after an argument with her parents. The young girl was a native in Thailand who had only been in county for several weeks, spoke no English and did not know the area. Several teams were deployed supporting Several Mill Valley Police Officers and Sheriff’s Deputies searching the area. About two hours into the search, the parents called and stated they found her in a nearby park. She stated she had been avoiding police and searchers, but was lost and unable to find her way home.

Marin SAR responded for a car over-the-side, about 600 feet down off West Ridgecrest on Mt. Tamalpais. What started as a rescue turned onto a recovery operation when the driver was declared at the scene. Thirty-three SAR members responded and conducted a search of the hillside looking for additional possible victims and items related to the crash. Sonoma Henry 1 lifted the patient out of the crash site. Other responding agencies included Marin County Fire, MMWD, State Parks, Stinson Fire, Sheriff and CHP. See links: http://cbs5.com/video/[email protected], http://www.marinij.com/marin/ci_6175246

NPS Rangers, two SAR members with ATV’s and two CARDA cadaver teams worked all day to work the dogs over the lake. Dogs showed some interest in one area.

Eight Dive team members, Eighteen SAR members NPS Rangers and three CARDA K-9 teams conducted a wide area search and dive operations to search for the missing subject. A Marin SAR K9 team canine team alerted at the shoreline and the Marin team flagged the area. (The next day, two CARDA water teams were deployed and found themselves working under the flagging tape left by the Marin K9 team on Sunday.) Diver found the lake well over 40 feet deep with no visibility.

Marin SAR responded with the Sheriff’s Dive team for a missing 26 y.o. male who was last seen around noon swimming in Bass Lake, a wilderness area about 3 miles from the closest road access. Rangers received the late afternoon report and requested assistance. NPS Rangers, Dive Team and two SAR members were inserted by Sonoma Henry 1 into the area to evaluate Dive operations and conduct a hasty search just before nightfall. An ATV team was also sent in to assist in the search and extricate the SAR members around midnight. The subject clothes, shoes were all next to the lake where the subject was last seen.

Marin SAR started for a missing 75 y.o. female Alzheimer’s patient who walked away from a care facility in the Northgate area around 9:00 PM. San Rafael PD was actively searching with several officers and the CHP helicopter. The Sheriff’s Watch Commander responding to the incident located the woman walking down the street about a mile away about 15 minutes after SAR activation.

Two members were diverted from a tracking training in the Reno area to provide technical rope expertise for a challenging body recovery out of the Yuba River, several miles above Downieville. Members provided rigging expertise to lower Sierra County SAR members and Deputies to a location they could drag the river and recovery the body. The victim had taken a fall off a cliff into the river the day before. Other participating agencies were Downieville Fire and Butte County Sheriff’s Department helicopter.

Marin SAR deployed a seven member technical rescue team to support the Annual Dipsea Race. During the event, Marin SAR, along with Marin County Fire, Stinson Beach Fire, Southern Marin Fire, Muir Beach Fire, AMR, NPS and State Park Rangers, responded to 8 medical aids on the trail, nearly all occurring at the same time. Five runners required a litter carryout, three for ankle injures and two for severe heat exhaustion. Marin SAR took point on two of the rescues, both nearly a mile long litter carryout on a steep challenging section of the Dipsea trail. Numerous other runners were treated at first aid stations.

Eight Marin SAR members responded for a Mt. Tam Interagency Rescue request for a down hiker on the Lily Gulch trail below Dutchman’s Rock near Alpine Dam. The hiker had an onset of altered mental status, possibly due to a stroke, falling off the trail into a ravine. When SAR members arrived, the patient was already packaged by MMWD Rangers and Ross Valley Firefighters. SAR members assisted with a short carryout to a location where the patient could be long lined by Sonoma H-1 and with traffic/LZ control where the patient was transferred to an ambulance.

Nine members responded for a missing 12 y.o. boy who ran away overnight from his home. Teams were assigned to clear open space areas near around his home. Shortly after the first wave of teams deployed, the child was located by a Deputy in an unmarked car walking down the street several blocks from his house. He was in good condition.

Seventeen members responded for an evidence search for an attempted homicide in the Canal area of San Rafael. Members were on scene for one hour.

Eighteen Marin SAR members and Open Space Rangers responded at midnight for a missing hiker in the Cascade Canyon Open Space Preserve above Fairfax. A command post was set up by Fairfax PD the several teams were deployed in the field to hasty search trails and fire roads. The missing hiker was a 57 y.o. female with two dogs who was last heard from by her family on cell phone around 8:30 PM. She told them she was lost and was advised to head down stream towards town. There was no contact after that call and the family searched for her for several hours in vain. Within the first hour, a team made voice contact with the missing hiker in San Anselmo Canyon and started cross county towards her voice. Two other teams were started from the bottom and after 30 minutes teams found her in the brush about 200 feet off trail. Except for ticks, being cold and scrapes from the brush, she was in good condition.

Twenty-five Marin SAR members were pulled off a training to respond a carry out request by Corte Madera Fire for an injured hiker in the Ring Mountain Open Space Preserve. As the team arrived on scene, Sonoma Henry 1 also arrived in the area and made quick work of the rescue with a short haul operation as SAR members watched. The patient was safely recovered and SAR returned to training.

In two separate waves, Marin SAR responded twenty-three members for a missing 38 year old mother of two children who left her children inside the house and called her ex-husband and said she was going to commit suicide. The woman left on foot from the house on the edge of a rural area in the city of Santa Rosa. Marin, CADRA K-9 teams and Napa SAR joined Sonoma in large area ground search of several areas identified by Santa Rosa PD. Santa Rosa PD detectives worked the investigation following several leads. The ground search was suspended late Wednesday until further clues could be found to direct the search effort. She was located 5 days later deceased by a passerby just outside areas covered by search and rescue resources.

Twenty-five Marin SAR members assisted by Air Patrol, Mounted Posse, Rangers, Detectives and Deputies launched an extensive search and investigation for an 80 year old male who did not return from his evening walk the night before. The focus of the search was to locate the subjects vehicle near recreation path ways, shopping malls and trailheads in the Central Marin area. Ten SAR vehicle teams and aircraft were deployed through the afternoon and evening, completing search goals and over 30 assignments by 10:30 PM. A press release was issued to generate leads and a SAR planning team was in place for the next morning. At 8:30 AM the next day, a resident on vacation returned to find the missing vehicle 250 feet down their private driveway. The missing subject was then heard in a ravine a short distance away. The missing subject was confused and hypothermic and transported to Marin General. SAR Members logged 9 hours each. Link to news article

Thirty Five Marin SAR members, Water District Rangers and five CARDA K-9 teams were requested for a missing 55 year old male hiker from the Bon Tempe Lake area around 8:00 PM. The hiker became separated from his group and had not been seen since mid-afternoon. Teams covered numerous trail assignments through the night while SAR investigators assisted by METRO PCS attempted to track his cell phone and follow other leads. As a second wave of teams were deploying at first light, the subject walked into a CARDA K-9 team. He stated he became very lost and spent the night well off trail above Alpine Lake. The subject showed scratches and lacerations from traveling through heavy Manzanita and brush. The subject saw a search helicopter and later heard voice calls, but did not realize the calls were searchers looking for him and did not respond back.

Seven Marin SAR members training in the area responded to assist County Fire and Rangers for an injured hiker on the Kent Trail. Upon arrival Rangers found she was assisted out by other hikers and SAR was canceled.

Marin SAR was activated for a possible overdue hiker on Mt. Tamalpais after a car was found left overnight at a trailhead in the Water Shed. Further investigation revealed the missing party was planning to hike in the area. Twenty-eight SAR members, CARDA K-9 teams, Mounted Posse, Water District and Open Space Rangers responded and conducted a large ground search on the North Side of Mt. Tamalpais. At 1500 the missing party contacted the command post and advised he was okay He stated he left his car at Bon Tempe Dam and then took another car to Ft. Cronkhite for an overnight backpacking trip over Mt. Tam. He was not aware it was unlawful to leave a car parked overnight on Water District Lands.

Marin SAR was started to rural Sonoma County to assist in the search for a missing woman whose car was found wrecked off the road with signs she was seriously injured. While en-route she was located nearby on a farm by a rancher disoriented and injured from the crash. She was airlifted to Santa Rosa.

Fourteen members responded mutual with a number of other Bay Area SAR teams to assist Contra Costa SAR in the search for a missing 83 y.o. male with dementia missing from the previous day from the town of Oakley. No clues were located in the all-day effort that involved included over 60 searchers. Members logged twelve hours each.

Nine Marin SAR members responded for a missing 40 year old male hiker in Armstrong Woods State Park who was overdue from the previous day. As members were responding the subject was located by Sonoma SAR resources.

Seven Marin SAR members responded to assist National Park Rangers and Presidio Fire for a hiker with an injured ankle on top of Hill 88 above Ft. Cronkhite just after sunset. Members hiked in about 1 mile and met the litter team that had started the decent down the trail. Several sections of the carryout were challenging with stairs and steep rough trail. Members were on scene for three hours.

Twenty-one Marin SAR members started for Castle Rock State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains early Sunday morning for a missing father and son who went climbing and did not return Saturday evening. As we were responding the pair was found in good condition by resources at scene.

Three members responded for a down aircraft signal coming from the San Rafael area. A short check with direction finding equipment indicated no signal. The Civic Air Patrol then advised that the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) had not picked up any further signals after three satellite passes and canceled the mission.

Six Marin SAR members responded for technical rescue with Marin County Fire, Southern Marin Paramedics and Rangers for an elderly male hiker fall victim. The patient was well off trail just above the climbing area by the East Peak Fire Lookout. When we arrived on scene, Fire personnel and Rangers had already set up a low angle system to raise the patient about 50 feet. We assisted with the rope extrication and then about a ¼ mile carryout over difficult terrain. Patient was transported to MGH. SAR Members were on scene for 3 hours.

Marin SAR responded for two missing snow boarders on Horse Mountain, about 23 miles east of Eureka. The two had skied off the wrong side of the mountain and were lost in a remote canyon with an elevation of 5000 feet. A 3:00 AM phone briefing from the Humboldt Sheriff’s ICP detailed several teams that were deployed through the night could not make it down the Canyon due to 4 feet on snow and rugged terrain. Six Type 1 Alpine members responded to Gnoss field in Novato for a flight by the Marin Sheriff’s Air Patrol at 0600. By 0845 we were on scene in the search area. Our team with two Humboldt SAR members started a very challenging hike up the Canyon and met up with the missing couple after an hour. Their was identified, but unreachable from a CHP helicopter a couple hours prior. They were is good condition and were able to hike out.

Marin SAR responded nine members at first light for a missing hiker above Sugar Loaf State Park about 10 miles east of Santa Rosa. Sonoma SAR had been working the incident through the night. The hiker was lost just after nightfall and was in cell phone contact for a short time until his battery died. As Marin was responding the subject was located by Sonoma resources.

Marin SAR was started for the Throckmorton Fire station for a missing elderly male who was lost, yet in cell phone contact. Marin County Fire, Mill Valley Police and MMWD Rangers initiated a hasty search of the “Double Bow Knot” area where the missing man thought he was stuck in dense brush about ¼ mile below. SAR arrived and set up a command post. Shortly after arriving on scene, a MMWD ranger located the subject and walked him out.

Marin SAR was started for a missing developmentally disabled teenager in San Rafael. Shortly after callout, the subject was located by deputies through investigation.

Marin SAR was requested to respond for a two missing children, 5 and 7, that became separated from their parents on the Cataract trail and had not been seen for several hours. As members were on the way, the children were located by a State Park Ranger at Rock Springs, two miles away.