NPS Rangers from the GGNRA requested a search for a missing bipolar 22-year-old male who was last seen in a manic state in the area of Fort Funston. His family had located his cell phone with rangers searching late into the night. The plan was to expand the search the following morning utilizing Marin and San Mateo SAR resources and clear the sand dunes and cliff bands around Fort Funston. As we were coordinating the search, the subject was located safe, and the search was canceled.

Yosemite National Park requested mutual aid for a backpacker who had been missing for several days overdue, whose destination was Ostrander Lake. As we were mobilizing, an NPS Yosemite search helicopter located the missing subject deceased off trail.

A missing 62-year-old woman walked with cognitive issues away from her house in a rural area south of the city of Eureka. After a day of hasty searching, Humboldt County Sheriff's Office requested mutual aid assistance in expanding the search. Marin responded with 18 members, driving up that night and deploying the following day, clearing multiple large drainages and area search assignments. Some members also supported remote planning efforts. Late in the day, surveillance video footage was obtained, showing a direction of travel, thus allowing the search to be refocused in a smaller area the next day.

The following day, a fresh Marin team of four members responded and deployed with several other teams from across Northern California. Late that morning, a Sonoma SAR team located the missing woman downslope off of a road in fair condition. The woman was transported to a local hospital, and teams were released.

Tuolumne County requested mutual aid assistance in the ongoing search for two missing men who were last seen at the end of March 2024, thought to be headed to a property in a remote area near Jupiter, California. In June, a vehicle associated with the men was located on a remote forest service access road. At that time, a search found likely clues, but after additional investigation, Tuolumne SO decided to expand the search. This area was very rugged, with high temperatures on the search day. A Marin three-person type 1 team joined several other teams in clearing additional areas and then stood by in case of an IWI until all other teams were out of the field. They then cleared the search. Additional clues were located during the search effort.

Marin SAR was requested by the National Park Service (NPS) to assist in the search for human remains observed by a hiker who washed up on a remote beach north of Bolinas. An initial search by fire that evening was unable to locate remains. SAR was requested to search the following morning, during which the remains were located. The remains were subsequently recovered, requiring a technical rope operation, and transported to an awaiting coroner vehicle.

While preparing for the second operational period, Marin SAR was alerted that the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office canceled any additional mutual aid resources due to safety concerns. Marin SAR was released. The mission woman was located 12 days later in a remote, abandoned trailer by a SWAT team searching the area. She was in poor health, treated by CALFIRE, and extricated with help from a CHP helicopter.

The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office requested Marin SAR to aid in the search for a missing at-risk 24-year-old female. The subject had gone missing in remote and highly technical terrain. Marin SAR deployed multiple Type 1 rope-qualified teams to search steep and technical areas along the Yuba River drainage. Marin teams were quickly met with several challenges, including multiple assignments requiring rope access, dense vegetation, and swift water. After assisting other teams traveling in technical terrain, Marin SAR returned to the command post.

Marin SAR was requested to assist in the search for a missing at-risk 77-year-old female in the Southampton area of Benicia. She reportedly had advanced dementia, diabetes, and severely impaired kidney function. Marin, Napa, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, and Alameda responded. Alameda’s drone team was used in the search to fly over deep grassy fields. E-bikes and ground teams searched high and lower POD locations in her neighborhood and beyond. Shortly after deploying, a team reported that the woman was inside an unlocked and vacant apartment only a few doors from the subject’s residence. After being medically evaluated, she was reunited with her family. Marin SAR was released from the scene.

Tuolumne County Sheriff requested Marin SAR's assistance searching for a 71-year-old male who went missing on a two-week hike with his dog. The subject’s dog was found by hunters two miles west of the trailhead, away from his intended route. The following day, his backpack was discovered nearby, propped against a tree. A hasty search by Tuolumne SAR found no additional clues. Marin SAR was requested to assist in remote planning and, the following day, deployed both ground teams and overhead positions. Search teams focused on high POD areas from the LKP and vehicle, with additional searches of linear features. No new clues were found during this initial search effort, with teams across northern California assisting.

Marin SAR joined numerous other northern California SAR teams during day 3 of the search. We deployed two e-bike teams and three ground search teams. Several hours into the search, a Marin team heard a distressed dog, which was not one of the search and rescue dogs, while searching. They located the missing woman’s dog alive but dehydrated and tangled. A trailing K9 team from Placer County followed a scent from where the dog was found to the subject, who was found dehydrated and non-ambulatory. With the help of nearby teams from Marin, San Mateo, BAMRU, YOSAR, and Contra Costa, she was packaged, and a rope system was built to haul the litter uphill, where she was carried about a half mile to a location that the Stanislaus Sheriff’s Rescue helicopter completed a short haul. After the patient was transported, all teams in the field returned to the command post and were released from the scene.

Marin SAR responded with ten members, who deployed as three teams. One team searched fire roads and trails far from the PLS, while the other two conducted area searches near the PLS. No significant clues, tracks, or signs were located. The teams were released and returned to Marin.

Marin SAR, already in the area for the Cottonwood Road search, was requested to respond by the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office for a new search nearby for a 64-year-old woman who went missing while hiking near Lyons Lake. Her family searched the area, and when she did not return as expected, Marin SAR deployed five hasty search teams while additional members supported overhead operations. No significant clues or tracks were located, leading to a second operational period.

Marin SAR responded to a mutual aid request from the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office to search for a missing 41-year-old male. His car was found out of gas on Cottonwood Road after he disappeared following a family argument—a wildfire complicated access to the search area. Marin deployed four e-bike teams and five ground teams near the last known point. After several hours of searching, a search team found the subject in a creek drainage south of the last known point. He was dehydrated but in good condition and was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.

The National Parks Service requested Marin SAR for the recovery of a deceased male found on Kelham Beach in the Point Reyes National Seashore. Marin SAR responded with a total of 18 members. MSAR used two rope systems, sked, and litter, to recover the subject. After utilizing both rope systems, a wheel was added, and the subject moved to the UTV, then to a SAR vehicle, and finally to the coroner. Further complicating the recovery as the UTV was transporting the subject, a large tree fell, blocking the access road and had to be cleared using chainsaws. After being transferred to the coroner, Marin SAR was released from the scene.

Novato Fire was working a hiker down in a remote location within the Hill Ranch on Big Rock Ridge. Marin SAR was requested to respond with a UTV. As members were departing the cache, they were canceled when Sonoma County Sheriff helicopter Henry 1 was able to complete the rescue.

Marin SAR participated in search efforts for a 49-year-old male missing boater in the San Pablo Bay. Marin coordinated the Falcon Phone Forensics team to find the person’s last known locations, which established a timeline and last known cell location in San Pablo Bay. MSAR received assistance from Alameda County’s Sheriff’s Dive Team, who deployed their Towfish Sonar, the Marin County Fire Water Rescue Team, the Sheriff’s Marine Patrol Boat, and the Air Patrol. Several members deployed on the boats, helping to increase the radio communications and mapping data for the search areas. Later in the day, the missing person’s remains were found in the water simultaneously by the Fire Rescue Water Craft and the Air Patrol. The find was near where the Coast Guard’s prediction model for drifts had estimated. The Fire Rescue Watercraft transported the remains to the shore, where CHP H32 packaged and transported the remains to the coroner.

Marin SAR was requested to aid in searching for a 16-year-old male who went missing after his sister dove into a lake to cool off. The family initially searched for him briefly before contacting the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department to report him missing. After initial hasty searching, Nevada County SAR helped create plans for the following OP. A mutual aid request was sent out to Marin County, Nevada County, CARDA, Butte, Napa, Placer, and Yolo Counties. The search effort also included various sonar searching capabilities from Alameda, Yuba, Placer, Sutter, and Butte Counties. Marin responded to the search with overhead members, ground searchers, and e-bikes. Drone teams were also utilized to search more hazardous areas around a bridge and a dam. CHP helicopter H20 did aerial searching while the sonar teams found some suspicious finds, which turned out to be rocks. Yuba County detectives located some footprints of shoes with matching soles. Some trailing K-9s were utilized to follow these footprints, and additional searchers were deployed to cover more ground. Later that day, a Yuba County search boat radioed in that they had found the missing person alive and well about five miles from where he was last seen. A Marin SAR EMT initially evaluated the individual, followed by the Yuba County Fire Department, who transported him to the emergency room for further evaluation. Marin SAR demobilized and was released from the scene.

Marin SAR responded via mutual aid to assist Yosemite NPS in the search for a missing 40-year-old female and a 63-year-old male who were a day overdue in returning from a hike. The pair was last seen near Bridalveil Creek Campground off Glacier Point Road. 11 Marin SAR members deployed, staying overnight at the Badger Pass Ski Area before receiving morning assignments. Three teams were sent to search dense vegetation and deadfall near the hikers' intended route. Around 1330, a San Mateo team located the pair on a ridgetop outside the assigned area. The male had back and foot pain, while the female was unharmed. A CHP helicopter extracted the male, and ground teams hiked out the female. Marin SAR returned and was released. The hikers later reported losing the trail in a meadow due to overgrown vegetation and spent two days navigating difficult terrain before being rescued.

As the search was beginning to be coordinated for the Marin SAR response, the MP was found, canceling the Mutual Aid request.

Placer County Sheriff’s Office received a message that the missing person was found alive and well after flagging down a boater on the Hell Hole Reservoir. A CHP helicopter was sent to extract him from the backwoods and bring him back to the command post at Homewood. Marin SAR was extracted from the area by UTV and was later released when arriving back at the command post.

A second Marin SAR wave consisting of 12 members assisted Placer County in the search for the 70-year-old male. Three Marin teams were created and inserted into the field by Blackhawk helicopter. Each team had about a 30-60 minute hike to each assignment. Marin searched the area southwest of the last known point. No clues or information were found during this day, and Marin teams spent the night spiked out in the field.

Marin SAR received a mutual aid request for a 70-year-old male last seen on the Rubicon trail. The Rubicon is a remote 22-mile-long off-road route adjacent to the Desolation Wilderness in the Tahoe National Forest. The missing person walked away from his group and was expected to return to camp. He was in great shape and had a strong knowledge of the area after living there for more than 40 years. After four hours, the group began a search, and the El Dorado Sheriff’s Office was notified. It was later determined to be in Placer County. Marin SAR responded with 25 members. National Guard Blackhawk was used to transport teams into the backcountry and do aerial searching. Marin teams searched around the PLS and multiple drainages. All teams stayed the night in the field, with four of the five teams staying at a nearby camp. They continued searching the next day through a highly-vegetated environment at six to seven thousand feet. All Marin assignments were completed with no additional clues or information being located and were extracted from the field by a Blackhawk helicopter.

Falcon Phone Forensics Team identified cell phone pings on Black Sand Beach just west towards Pt. Bonita. Additional assignments around the area were written, with most of the searching looking over cliff edges. A technical rescue team repelled over cliff edges. Southern Marin Fire searched the shoreline in a fireboat. A Marin SAR UAV drone team was deployed and located the missing deceased person. Fireboat Liberty sent a rescue swimmer to recover the body. SAR teams were called back to the command post, debriefed, and released from the scene.

Marin SAR was notified of a missing 76-year-old male from San Francisco who was last seen five days prior at his wife’s care facility. He was known to frequent the Marin Headlands and would visit his wife daily. Marin SAR was conducting team training during the call, and sent members to the command post at the United States Coast Guard Station Golden Gate. When teams arrived, they were assigned and sent out into the Marin Headlands and Tennessee Valley to search the immediate area. Meanwhile, a Marin County Sheriff's Deputy was working on information from the missing person’s Clipper card, security cameras at the ferry building, Golden Gate Bridge, and cell phone data to confirm if the subject had come to Marin. One member interviewed the missing person’s son and went to the missing person’s apartment to try and gather clues and scent articles for K9s. Numerous ground, e-bike, and area K9 teams were used to hasty search the Marin Headlands, but no additional clues or information was found. The search was to be suspended until the team could confirm the subject was in Marin, but two large investigative pieces came through. An image was found of the person departing the ferry four days earlier, and AT&T released the phone data, which was then sent to CalOES’ Falcon cell phone forensics team. Eighty-two Marin SAR members responded during the first operational period.

Fairfax Police Department requested Marin SAR to conduct an evidence search on two parcels in Fairfax. In prior searches, firearms and ammunition were found on the property. Marin Sheriff’s Office deputies and one bomb-detecting K9 from Alameda Sheriff’s Office conducted a thorough search on the inside of the residence. Marin SAR split into four groups and searched the outside of the house and the adjacent creek. Metal detectors were utilized but were ultimately ineffective as metal was all over the property. A few possible casing fragments were found, as was a possible sealed box of ammunition, but nothing additional was located.

As Marin SAR was en route to Laurel Dell for a preventative search and rescue detail, Marin County Fire and Stinson Beach Fire responded to a call for a woman who fell 30 feet off a trail into the water. Marin SAR was attached to the call. Responders deployed the litter, wheel, and trail rescue rope kit. The patient was assessed, treated, and packaged while a rope system was constructed to manage the slope. The patient was lowered to the creek bed by moving them hand over hand 20 yards along with the rope system. Once the patient was on the trail, the wheel was attached to the litter, and the patient was transported to Whitegate, where they were transferred to Medic 97.

30 Marin SAR members gathered to help with medical aid for the 113th annual Dipsea race, which spans 7.4 miles from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach. Two medical incidents occurred during the course event. The first was a bystander who had momentary weakness and possible heat exhaustion. This patient was transported but refused further treatment. The second incident involved a runner who started showing illness at the top of Cardiac Hill but refused further treatment. This runner eventually fell and required medical intervention. Several Marin SAR BLS teams responded to assist with medical care and a trail carry out. The patient was released to ALS.

As part of the Marin County Animal Rescue Team, Marin SAR was requested to respond to an incident with a fallen horse trapped in a steep ravine on a remote part of the Coastal Trail in the Pt. Reyes National Seashore. One of the horses turned around on unstable ground, which gave out below the horse, causing it to fall into a ravine. National Parks Service Rangers and Bolinas Fire were first on scene, then requested Marin SAR and the Marin Humane Society to coordinate getting a veterinarian to evaluate the horse. Marin Animal Technical Rescue (ATR) members and rope rescue technicians were transported to the scene by the Marin SAR and NPS UTVs. The horse was moved to get it to stand up independently, but it could not. The team shifted their focus to creating a path and plan to get the horse back up to the trail. The vet arrived and helped with the plan for getting the horse out and providing the horse with electrolytes. The horse was loaded onto the glides, which allowed him to be safely dragged 30 feet back up to the trail utilizing rope systems. Once on flat ground, the horse, with help, could stand up and walk several miles out to the trailhead. The rescue took seven hours to complete.

Eleven members were participating in a four-wheel drive familiarization training when a hiker alerted the members that a group of hikers ran out of water and showed signs of dehydration. A second report was received from another group of hikers who had tried to offer them water but were refused and continued. The training pivoted into a hasty search for the hikers as the MMWD Rangers and Sheriff’s Office Dispatch were notified of the incident. One male hiker was located and was given water while he sat in SAR 2 to cool off. He stated that the group consisted of 14 hikers. One SAR EMT stayed with the patient for further assessment while others continued to look for the remaining hikers. Three more hikers were located, with two requesting water and transportation and one refusing transportation. Two others were located along the way and given water but refused transportation. Marin SAR was released.

Marin County Fire requested Marin SAR for a trail rescue regarding a female subject who sustained an ankle injury. Marin SAR helped alongside a Ross Valley Engine Company and MMWD Rangers. After hiking into the incident location, the patient was loaded into a litter and carried out by SAR and fire personnel to the trailhead, where the patient was then released to the family for private transport to the hospital. Marin SAR was released.

The Fresno County Sheriff requested mutual aid for a missing four-year-old boy near Huntington Lake in Fresno County. He had been missing since the morning of June 20th, and nothing was found during their initial search efforts. Early the following day, Marin SAR responded but was canceled after a SAR team from Tulare County found the missing boy alive and well.

Marin SAR sent an Incident Management Team to assist with planning at the Point Fire near Lake Sonoma. Four Marin SAR members responded and were tasked with printing 200 Incident Action Plans and checking in teams before they went out into the field in the morning. Approximately 400 personnel, 50 fire engines, ten dozers, ten water tenders, and 12 crews were in the fire-fighting response. Half of these resources were already in the field as part of the Initial Attack, while the other half were signing in. After teams had finished signing in, crews fighting the fire all night returned to be checked in. Marin SAR was released from the incident.

The search continued Thursday with Marin SAR fielding teams in field and overhead roles. Ground searchers covered significant areas, including assignments that required flights into the Emigrant Wilderness. As no new leads emerged, mutual aid was requested through the weekend. Marin SAR ground searchers took Friday off due to the high mission tempo but continued to staff overhead positions and planning efforts. Friday’s search plan prioritized areas containing water sources as cooler temperatures and rain approached. Marin SAR returned to the field Saturday alongside other mutual aid resources, contributing to large-scale track coverage. Despite the extensive search, no additional clues were found. The search concluded on Sunday after expanded searches of lower-probability areas yielded no further information. During a follow-up search effort on September 1st, the subject was located deceased by a K-9 team.

Marin County Fire requested Marin SAR for a potential technical rescue on the Cataract trail for a female hiker who fell 25 feet off a cliff into a creek. An MMWD Ranger was nearby doing preventative search and rescue and managed to respond to the scene within minutes. The initial plan was to get helicopter H-30 to do a hoist extraction. H-30 was able to get a medic to the patient and extract them to medic 18 for transport. Marin SAR was canceled.

National Park Service rangers requested Marin SAR to help with a hiker stranded off-trail in the Devil’s Gulch area near Samuel P. Taylor State Park. Rangers were on scene for roughly an hour and had been searching for the hiker through cell phone pings provided by the Sheriff’s Office before making the call to SAR. Voice contact was made with the subject not long after Marin SAR arrived on scene, and rangers were able to find a way to hike out with the subject.

Marin SAR responded to a CalOES request for mutual aid resources to provide searchers and overhead support in Sonoma County. Sonoma SAR had been working overnight searching for a 62-year-old hiker. Marin SAR, Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit (BAMRU), and Sonoma County SAR developed a plan for the day and continued with investigations. After gathering more information, a direction of travel was determined, along with information about what the MP had brought with her and her presumed phone battery level. Three drainages were prioritized where the reporting party and a family member suspected they had heard voice calls. Type 1 teams were sent from Marin, BAMRU, and Contra Costa County SAR to search these high-priority areas. Communications in the area were spotty and challenging. A request was made to CalOES for the Falcon cell phone forensics team and Sonoma County for a repeater vehicle to improve communications. Helicopter H1 was available and assisted in searching from above. Around 11:30 am, a team reported that they had made contact with the missing hiker who, after a medical assessment, was deemed to be in good condition other than being tired. H1 was able to do a long-line pick-off and relocate the patient to the incident command post, where a medical evaluation was done and the patient was transported.

Marin SAR was requested by the Central Marin Police Department to look for a 12-year-old who ran away from their home in Corte Madera. Information gathered by Law Enforcement led to the belief that she had run away to a friend’s house in Tiburon, where she was later found. Marin SAR was canceled.

The Mendocino Sheriff’s Office requested Marin SAR to assist in a search for a 71-year-old female who got lost while walking in a densely vegetated area northeast of Fort Bragg. BAMRU, Cal ESAR, Mendocino, Lake, Sonoma, San Mateo SAR teams, CARDA trailing, and area dogs all responded to the incident. As the search progressed, a team located an article of clothing confirmed to belong to the missing person. A trailing K9 and a UTV team were dispatched to the area to determine if a direction of travel could be determined. After about 30 minutes, the missing person was located by a search team along a trail nearby. The MP was evaluated by medical personnel and transported.

Marin SAR was requested to assist NPS Rangers in a search for a missing hiker in Point Reyes National Seashore. Marin began responding to Bolinas Fire with 60 members. As members were responding, the missing person showed up at the Palo Marin trailhead, and SAR members were released while en route.

Marin SAR received a mutual aid request to assist with a missing hiker in Alameda County who had been backpacking through the Ohlone wilderness. Early into the search, the Falcon cell phone forensics team identified two cell phone pings from the missing person’s phone in Indian Creek drainage. A team was dispatched to the area to investigate. After finding evidence of someone slipping on the side of the drainage and a water nozzle from a hydration pack, additional teams were brought in to search along the eight-mile drainage. A National Guard Blackhawk, CHP H-30, and the East Bay Regional Parks helicopter responded to aid in transportation and searching from the air. A San Francisco Department of Water patrol boat was utilized to search the San Antonio Reservoir, where the Indian Creek drainage empties. The boat team located the missing person and their dog, and they were handed off to the paramedics for further medical evaluation.

Marin County Fire Department requested Marin SAR for a trail rescue in a remote location in the southern part of the Point Reyes National Seashore off the Ridge trail. The patient was a 15-year-old female with difficulty breathing who was separated from her family. She utilized her phone’s Emergency SOS feature as there was no cell coverage. Bolinas Fire fire and NPS Rangers also responded. As the Marin team arrived on scene, Bolinas Firefighters on e-bikes located the patient, evaluated her and determined she could be hiked out. SAR units were released.

Marin SAR was requested to respond for a missing three-year-old in the community of Banger in Butte County. As the team was mobilizing, the child was located safely under a tarp on a large property by Butte County deputies.

Marin County Fire Department, US Coast Guard, and NPS Rangers responded for a water rescue of a surfer in Drake's Bay off of Drake's Beach. Marin SAR was requested as the incident transitioned to a likely recovery operation. At the request of NPS, we started to set up flor a wide area shoreline search and planning for a potential extended search. Shortly after we arrived on scene, A USCG helicopter located the remains about a mile offshore. A USCG Motor Lifeboat arrived shortly afterward and completed the recovery.

Twenty-three Marin SAR members responded to Nevada County to search for a missing elderly man who got separated from his family while hiking in the Spencerville Wildlife Refuge the day before. Other responding agencies included SAR teams from Yuba County, El Dorado, Placer County, Butte County, and CARDA. As teams were getting ready to deploy, a K-9 team driving out to their assignment located the man along the side of the road in good condition. He was transported back to the command post for a medical evaluation by CALFIRE units and released to his family.

Twenty Marin SAR members responded at the request of the San Rafael Police Department for an evidence search in the Canal area of San Rafael. Searchers deployed on their hands and knees and also utilized metal detectors to ensure a thorough search of the area.

Marin SAR was requested by the Ross Police Department just after midnight for a missing elderly male with dementia who was last seen with his two dogs late afternoon the day before. Marin had 35 members and two K-9 teams deployed and searched through the night without locating any clues. As daylight broke, a request was made for additional searchers to respond to the incident. The search was scaled up with mutual aid from Contra Costa County SAR, CALSAR, and additional Marin SAR members. The Marin County water rescue team was requested to clear the creeks. The search scaled up to nearly 100 personnel, with rain falling and cold temperatures. In the early afternoon, a family member who just became aware of the search provided information about a potential property he might have gone to. A search team was immediately dispatched and, after a search of the large property, located him at the base of a tree, suffering from hypothermia and altered mental status. He was transported by fire department paramedics, and all personnel were released after an after-action review of the incident. A big thanks to assisting SAR teams and fire agencies who responded to support the search.

Marin SAR was requested by the San Rafael Police Department for a missing woman with potential dementia in the Canal area of San Rafael. As units were mobilizing, San Rafael police reported they had located the missing woman at a neighbor's house and canceled the response.

Marin SAR responded with Marin County Fire Department and Water District rangers for a trail rescue for a male with cardiac problems on the High Marsh Trail in a remote location. CHP H30 also responded and was able to insert a fire department HRT member and hoist the patient. Marin SAR members continued to the scene and assisted transferring the patient to a medical helicopter for transport and were then released.

During a routine boat patrol, NPS rangers located a fishing vessel on the rocks near Chimney Rock in The Point Reyes National Seashore. A USCG rescue swimmer deployed from a helicopter was able to get on the vessel and determine there were remains inside but could not take any further action. The boat was in a difficult area to access, in the surf zone at the base of 800-foot cliffs. Marin County Fire Department, Marin SAR, and Sonoma Sheriff’s Henry 1 deployed to support NPS and evaluate recovery options. As the Marin SAR crew was evaluating access in steep angle terrain for a potential rope access operation, two Marin County Fire Department HRT technicians deployed by Henry 1 on a long line were able to successfully recover the remains off the boat.

More than 40 searchers with canine teams from seven different agencies were briefed at 0800 and deployed into the field. Several of the teams deployed were technical rope teams to access technical terrain adjacent to trails surrounding the Tassajara Monastery area. Late in the morning, one of the technical teams located the missing subject deceased at the base of a waterfall. With the assistance of a Highway Patrol helicopter, the remains were recovered, and all teams were released from the incident.

Additional Marin SAR members arrived to join the search. A dozen teams were deployed over a large area, with a division assigned to search the Wind Caves area. A Civil Air Patrol plane acted as a radio relay for teams in the field. Search crews covered a wide area, and no additional clues were found. Planning was started for the next operational period.

Marin SAR was requested by the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office for a mutual aid mission regarding a 30-year-old woman who left for a hike and did not return two days earlier. The search was at the Tassajara Monastery in the Los Padre National Forest near the Ventana Wilderness. A remote planning team was set up to start search planning while three MSAR members went directly that night to aid in an overnight search of the area, arriving on scene at 11:00 PM. Monterey SO utilized a CALOES FIRIS aircraft to fly over the area and assist in looking for the missing woman. MSAR teamed up with members from San Mateo SAR and monks from the local zen center the missing woman belonged to. Together, they were dispatched to what was noted as a possible heat signature of a person by the FIRIS aircraft six miles into the backcountry. Ultimately, no find was made and the search expanded the next day. Twenty-one Marin SAR members arrived on-scene in the morning and joined teams from Monterey, San Mateo, BAMRU, Santa Clara, and CARDA to expand the search. Due to the difficulty and remoteness of the terrain, CHP H-70 had to insert many teams by hoist. One team reported a possibility of a voice contact via a female voice yelling in the area of the Wind Caves. This area of complex terrain would be the focus of the next operational period.

Marin SAR had nine members deployed doing preventative search and rescue (PSAR) activities in the Cataract Creek corridor due to high visitation after recent rains. As the team was packing up for the day, they received a report of a missing adult male, last seen by his family several hours earlier. After conducting a hasty search with no results, Water District rangers were notified to respond and a full team SAR callout was initiated. As additional search teams were deployed in the area, a passerby reported that they had located the subject on the road several miles away, and we had returned him to the trailhead. Rangers confirmed the find and released SAR Units.

Marin SAR’s Animal Technical Rescue (ATR) team was requested by Marin Humane to help extricate a 26-year-old horse that fell into a muddy ditch and was stuck in a compromising position. Marin SAR’s ATR team showed up on scene, joining Novato Fire District, the Sheriff’s Posse and Marin Humane. Crews applied different maneuvers such as a forward drag and the use of a forklift with fire hose straps to try to pull the horse out of the ditch. After about two hours of work, the horse was able to stand up with the help of the forklift and began to walk and trot around on its own. A veterinarian came out to evaluate the horses’ status, and was cleared with only a few scratches and a sore leg. Members were released from the scene.

Marin SAR was requested by Stinson Beach Fire for a trail rescue on Dipsea trail at an uncertain location. Stinson Fire located the patient and called off the need for SAR resources.

Marin SAR was called for a 78-year-old female who had dementia and walked away from her home. Marin had 58 members respond, with the first members arriving and deploying within the first 30 minutes of the callout. Marin SAR sent out resource requests for CHP H30, the MCSO’s UAS team, the Marin County US&R water rescue team and Central Marin CERT. Several hours into the search, a Marin SAR K9 team located the missing woman in an isolated area. She was in fair condition other than being cold, hungry, and disoriented after being missing for 30 hours. She was transported by Central Marin Fire to a local hospital.

Marin SAR was requested to search for a 28-year-old female who had left a Residential Treatment Facility in Novato, prompting welfare concerns due to her mental health issues. Despite being resource-impacted from a previous Mutual Aid response, MSAR assembled a team and deployed into the area where she was last seen. Mutual aid resources were also requested, including ground teams, equine and search dogs, and air resources. Subsequently, a citizen's call reporting someone stuck in a nearby marsh led to the rescue of the missing person by CHP helicopter, which then transferred care to Fire and paramedics who treated and transported the subject to a local hospital for treatment. Search teams were recalled, and all resources were released.

44 Marin SAR members responded to Lake County in search of a missing person who left his home after getting into a physical altercation with a family member. 90 personnel from multiple agencies were joined by law enforcement, K-9 teams, helicopters, and UAVs. Clues, including two-bed sheets and bibles matching those potentially owned by the MP, were found about a mile from his residence in rugged, burned terrain. Extensive searches yielded no further clues, prompting a pause in search efforts, as further investigation was deemed necessary by Lake County resources.

Twelve Marin SAR members responded to a trail rescue request by Marin County Fire on the Cataract trail. Initially reported as an unconscious fall victim, the subject was found conscious but disoriented by bystanders who had pulled him from the creek, where he was found face down and unconscious. Paramedics arrived to find the patient improving but requiring a litter carryout. The patient was then transported to MGH. Several SAR members were deployed for PSAR duties in response to heightened trail activity.

Marin County Fire received a report of a missing kayaker, prompting a multiple agency search effort. The incident was eventually handed over to the U.S. Coast Guard, who conducted extensive searches based on cell phone forensics indicating the kayaker’s last known location. The Subject was found safe, having experienced a misunderstanding regarding his return time.

Marin SAR received a mutual aid request from Del Norte County to locate a 72-year-old female who disappeared on January 4th while mushroom picking in a remote area northeast of Crescent City. Previous search efforts revealed her rain gear, cell phone, and vehicle on a fire road, and her backpack was found near dense vegetation. 10 Marin SAR members responded. During search efforts, members encountered challenging conditions and terrain. The following day, OP5, Marin SAR deployed with rappel gear. Despite challenging conditions, Marin SAR teams completed assignments without finding any clues.