Marin SAR was requested by Marin County Fire and State Parks for a trail rescue of a hiker and his dog down a drainage unable to get out. The subject was located and members assisted the owner in hiking out. The dog was unable to walk and was carried out by SAR members.

Marin SAR members deployed to the Camp Fire Incident in Butte County for human remains searches. Members served in a variety of leadership positions working in management roles, field leadership, ground searchers, and canine teams. Over 15 operational periods over 41 members supported this incident contributing over 14,500 hours.

Alpine County SO requested mutual aid for a missing climber in the Blue Lakes area. Marin arrived on the second day of searching. Members assumed several positions in the, utilizing the teams technology such as plotters and printers, as well as fielding several teams. Over the four days that Marin SAR was there, 45 different members assisted in this search. During OP 5, the subject was located deceased.

Novato PD requested Marin SAR to search an area of Miwok Park for evidence. SAR was cancelled when they found evidence related to the case elsewhere.

A HRD (Human Remains Detection) K9 team was requested by Nevada County to support an investigation.

Butte County requested mutual aid for a missing gold panner. 11 Marin SAR members responded for a 48 hour deployment. Members assisted in overhead and in the field, with steep difficult, brush filled terrain. Unfortunately, no relevant clues were located and the subject remains missing.

10 Marin SAR members responded to a request for an evidence search in Marin City. Using a firearms detection K9, metal detector, and ground searchers, several pieces of evidence were found.

County Fire requested two SAR members to assist in the incident management for the Irving Fire near Samuel P. Taylor State Park.

San Rafael Police Department requested SAR to perform an evidence search in San Rafael. 9 members supported this search.

County Fire requested SAR to assist in a technical rescue on the Cataract Trail. 15 members responded and a CHP helicopter was able to extract the subject before SAR arrived onscene.

SAR was requested by the Central Marin Police Authority for a missing person with Alzheimer’s. 38 members and 4 K9’s responded and after several hours of difficult searching, the missing person was located by a Marin SAR team.

33 Marin SAR members were responding to Muir Woods for a missing hiker. The subject was located as members were responding.

The animal technical rescue team (ATR) was requested to assist with a horse stuck in a drainage at the Stewart Ranch Horse Camp. 5 members were enroute when the horse was able to free itself.

3 Marin SAR members responded to the CAL Fire headquarters in St. Helena to provide incident management support for the Steele fire.

10 Marin SAR members were staged at the Throckmorton Fire Station to assist with calls for service to free up fire resources due to high fire danger and a lack of resources with fires across the state.

During our annual Yosemite training, SAR was requested by the National Park Service to assist in a search for human remains.

The Sheriff’s Office requested a firearms detection K9 to assist in an evidence search.

Marin SAR was requested to assist Napa SO with a missing person. While the team was being paged out the subject was located.

SAR was requested by State Parks to help locate a missing hiker last seen on the Matt davis Trail. 21 members were responding when the missing person was located near his home in San Francisco.

Santa Clara SAR requested mutual aid for a missing person. 12 Marin SAR members assisted in the search. Marin members staffed field and overhead positions. The subject was located deceased.

Over 33 Marin SAR members assisted at the Marin County Fair responding to medical calls and assisting in locating missing children.

Siskiyou County requested mutual aid for two missing hikers on Mt. Shasta. 8 members were enroute when the subject was located alive.

The Marin County Animal Technical Rescue Team (ATR), a team comprised of several agencies throughout Marin including members from SAR, the Sheriff’s Posse, and the Humane Society, were requested to assist Nicasio Fire for a cow stuck in a ravine. 15 members responded to assist and the cow was successfully removed from the ravine.

Mendocino SO requested mutual aid for a missing person in the area of Laytonville. 9 Members responded along with several other counties to assist. The missing person was located deceased shortly after and Marin members assisted in the recovery.

While driving back from the Dipsea race, members were dispatched to a medical aid in the area of Laurel Dell. The UTV was deployed and SAR members assessed the patient, who refused treatment and transported the patient back to their vehicle. SAR members were able to free up responding fire units who were able to respond to a priority medical aid at the mountain theater.

While the Dipsea race was ongoing, 23 Marin SAR members, 8 members from Solano SAR and 3 K9’s completed an evidence search in west Marin. No relevant evidence was located

18 Marin SAR members were deployed to assist the annual Dipsea Race. Two teams were deployed, one on the east and west side of “Cardiac Hill”. Additionally a UTV team with two members was staged along with a SAR member in charge of SAR operations at Cardiac hill. Marin SAR members completed two carryouts of injured runners.

Mendocino County requested mutual aid for a missing woman with dementia in the community of Piercy. Marin assisted with planning and served in the command post during the search. Additional members and K9’s conducted several searches of the surrounding area. The region has many hazards including poison oak, timber slash, stinging nettle, rattlesnakes, dogs and ticks. No relevant clues were located and the subject remains missing after several days of intensive searching.

SAR responded to Muir Woods to search for a missing hiker after she became separated from her group. As members were responding (with some on scene), the subject was located in Stinson Beach after a long hike. 25 members responded.

Marin was requested by OES through San Mateo county to assist in a search for a missing male with dementia in San Bruno. Just prior to the team being notified by our Duty Officer, the subject was located.

13 members responded to Nevada County to search for a missing person whose vehicle was found outside of Grass Valley. Members worked with several other agencies and covered a large area. No significant clues were located. Later, it was determined that the missing subject was the victim of a homicide and his remains have been located and the suspect is in custody.

A 25 year old male became separated from his group and was later reported missing. Marin was mobilizing a team and had just arrived at the command post when it became known that the subject used an ATM card in San Anselmo. 27 members were on scene or responding when the search was cancelled.

Marin was requested to assist in a search for the occupants of a vehicle crash in the Eel River in Mendocino County. As our team was organizing, the last missing person was located deceased by teams on scene.

SAR was requested to help locate a missing woman last seen near Carson Falls off of the Pine Mountain Fire Road. The woman became separated from her hiker group. Rangers and fire personnel conducted hasty searches of the fire roads and SAR teams hasty searched trails. Late that evening, a Battalion Chief from Marin County Fire heard a distant voice call in Cascade Canyon. Teams were deployed to the area. Due to darkness, thick vegetation, unstable and steep terrain and the loud rushing creek, it took some time to located the woman. The team assisted her out. She was cold, but otherwise ok. 33 members assisted.

State Parks requested a SAR response for two missing 8 year olds near Alice Eastwood. As the team was being paged out, the children were located by their parents.

A large mutual aid search was conducted for the victims of a car crash along the Mendocino Coast. Marin searched several areas along highway 1, cliffs and the beach in the area of the crash looking for the victims or any other clues. No relevant clues were located. 17 Marin members assisted.

SAR was requested for a missing Autistic 10 year old in Stinson Beach. Just as the team was about to be paged out, the boy was located.

Marin SAR was asked to support the memorial service for Deputy Ryan Zirkle, who tragically died in a car accident. SAR members assisted with logistics and parking for the service and many members stayed for the service itself. 15 members assisted.

Marin responded with several other type 1 teams to search the Bear Valley Ski Area for a missing skier. The skier was very experienced, but had been skiing alone during heavy snowfall. Teams searched several areas within the boundary of the ski area, checking tree wells and probing other areas. Several feet of snow had fallen at the resort since the subject went missing. The subject was not located during the initial search efforts. About two months later, a follow up search was conducted once more snow had melted utilizing dogs and ground searchers. The remains of the subject were located, bringing closure to the family. 16 Marin members assisted in the search.

SAR was requested to conduct an evidence search following a car chase and armed robbery. SAR searched several sites along highway 101 looking for anything related to the suspects. No items were located and 25 members assisted.

Mendocino County requested assistance with a missing person/abduction search near Covelo. Several Marin members assisted with planning and then 31 members responded to assist in the search. Team members were sent as vehicle teams to search several areas. Unfortunately, no significant clues were located during the search.

Mendocino SO requested Marin SAR to assist in a follow up search for a missing abduction subject from earlier in the year. 12 members responded.

Yosemite National Park requested type 1 searchers for a missing backpacker near Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. The Marin team set up our printers and computers and then set out on a 10 mile hike in snow to the assigned search area. They searched that afternoon in winter storm conditions and then returned to the spike camp for the night. In the morning, the team woke to nearly two feet of snow in areas. An additional team drove up and met up with the first team and continued searching the area. Once the weather cleared, a helicopter was able to locate the missing subject’s tent. The subject had injured his ankle and was able to ration his food and stay in his tent until he was found. A prepared backpacker led to a great outcome!

2 people were hiking above Stinson Beach and followed a trail that was on a map down towards Stinson. The trail got smaller and smaller and eventually the two hikers found themselves off trail. They realized they were lost and called for help. Marin SAR responded and sent a team up from the bottom and another down from the top. Our teams located the two hikers and assisted them out of the area. 32 members assisted.

Following the devastating fires just outside of Santa Barbara, there was a series of mudslides the flowed through entire communities. There were several people still missing and Santa Barbara requesting a large K9 search response through CARDA. Four of our dog teams responded along with our Unit Leader to serve as a technical specialist. Dog teams were deployed in various areas within the search area and each segment was searched by three different dogs. The remains of one victim were located during the initial hours of the first day of searching, helping to bring closure to family and friends.

Marin members responded to the area of Redwood Valley to assist Mendocino County with the search for a missing person. Teams deployed in the morning with Marin assuming various roles on the search and working closely to support Mendocino. In the early afternoon, a Marin team located the subject alive and uninjured but altered after spending 3 days outside. 33 team members responded.