Response Log
Sequoia Mountain Rescue
2010 Call Outs
2/8 SMR was called out to help search for a 42 year old female with mental issues who had walked away from a group home in the Exeter area. While searching the area she was located by the Visalia Police Department at a location in Visalia.
5/29-31 SMR staged with the TCSO for the Memorial Day Weekend on the Kern River at Headquarters Campground. No incidents occurred during this weekend.
6/27-28 SMR was called out to assist the TCSO in the search for a lost 48 year old male who was reported last seen in the Quaking Aspen-Slate Mountain area of the Sequoia National Forrest. The missing man was located safely near Coy Flat and returned to his family.
7/2-5 SMR staged with the TCSO for the Fourth of July Weekend on the Kern River at Headquarters Campground. During the five day period SMR participated in 3 separate river rescues bringing five people to safety. The group also recovered one body from another drowning and also monitored numerous incidents that ended safely without assistance. The team continued to patrol the area and assist in warning and educating campers as to the dangers of the Kern River.
7/6 SMR was asked to assist the TCSO on an intelligence gathering mission to check a tip on a possible historic downed aircraft site in the Balch Park area. A search of the area located only a cluster of rocks resembling an aircraft crash site.
9/4-5 SMR staged with the TCSO for the Labor Day Weekend on the Kern River at Hospital Campground. On 9/4 the team responded to a report of a person trapped under water in the river near Halfway Campground. Upon arrival the team found an unresponsive 17 year old that had been pulled from the water by family and witnesses. Team members assisted in administering CPR and extraction of the youth to the roadway for transport by ambulance. The youth was pronounced dead upon arrival at the local hospital.
9/5 SMR responded to the Pine Flat-Sugarloaf area to search for a missing 36 year old female. The woman had gone for a short hike with her dog and failed to return the night before. During the search the woman found her way to a local cabin where she and her dog were returned to her family at a local campsite.
9/27 SMR was called out to help search for a 62 year old hunter missing near Jordan Peak. The man, who was hunting alone sufferers from asthma and has a bad leg. He had become disoriented and could not reach his family members on his FRS radio. He decided to try and hike out of the area by going down the McIntyre Creek drainage. The CHP’s H-40 flying search patterns in the area heard him calling for help on the radio and were able to locate the man on steep terrain in dense trees where he had become stranded. The missing was hoisted out and airlifted back to the command post where he was reunited with his family.
2009 Call Outs
3/28 SMR was called out to help search for a 26 year female missing in the Boyds Grade area of Tulare County. The woman was located safe in another area and SMR was told to stand down.
8/14 SMR was called to an AOA by the Fresno County Sheriff to assist in a search for a missing 20 year old female in the area below Wishon Reservoir in the Sierra National Forest. The young woman had fallen from a ledge. Her body was recovered by searchers.
9/12 SMR was asked to assist the Tulare County Sheriff in locating an old possible aircraft crash site near Cirque Peak. The plane went missing in June of 1967 and has never been located. Information surfaced that there might be a plane matching the description of the missing aircraft at this location. After a full day of searching only an old known military crash site was located.
9/18 SMR was called out to an AOA by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff to assist in locating a missing hunter in the Carrizo Plains area. The missing person was located prior to the team deploying to the field.
10/4 SMR was called out to assist the Madera County Sheriff in searching a specific area for the remains of a missing hiker near the Iron Lakes Trail Head 12 miles north east of Bass Lake. The man has been missing since April of 2008. The search was postponed due to inclement weather.
10/5 SMR was called out to an AOA by the Madera County Sheriff to assist in searching for three missing and overdue hunters in the Bass Lake Area. The hunters were located prior to the team deploying to the field.
10/15 SMR was called out to Kings Canyon National Park to assist in searching for 3 overdue hikers who had been hiking in the Circle of Solitude area. The missing were located stranded on a ledge, where they had spent the last 3 days. They were safely rescued
10/29 SMR was called out to help search for a missing hunter overdue in the Kennedy Meadows area. While in route the missing person walked out of the area and the team was diverted to another search.
10/29 SMR was called out to an AOA call in Inyo Co. for a missing 73 year old hiker over due on the Mt Whitney Trail as of October 25. The team was inserted into the area and the missing hiker’s body was recovered by search teams on the east side of Mt Whitney on 10/29.
12/5 SMR was called out to an AOA call in Yosemite National Park to search for a missing 32 year old male who was thought be in Yosemite NP and to have possibly ended his own life. The individual has yet to be located.
12/27 SMR was called out to search for a 13 year old boy who became separated from his family while playing in the snow in the Chimney Peak Wilderness Area of Tulare County. The boy was found the next morning suffering from moderate hypothermia was treated, extracted by helicopter and flown to a hospital for further treatment. He is now recovering at home with his family.
2008 Response Log
3/28 SMR was called out to search for an 80 year old female with Alzheimer disease, missing in the Cutler area. The women was located and returned to her family.
7/7 SMR responded to a AOA callout by the Inyo County Sheriff to search for a 44 year old male missing in the area of Mt. Goode. The search was suspended after 9 days. The missing person has since been located.
2007 Response Log
March 31, 2007: SMR was called out to search for 76 year old female Alzheimers patient in Tulare Co. The woman was located and returned to her family.
May 6, 2007: SMR responded to missing 81 year old male at Jerkey Meadow area. After 42 missions TCSO ended search efforts and determined him to not be in the area.
May 31, 2007: SMR responded to overdue hiker at Manter Meadow trail loop. Hiker was found injured and responsive by Army National Guard helicopter and air-lifted to nearby hospital.
June 11, 2007: SMR responded AOA in Fresno County to 2 missing hikers. Hikers were found alive and SMR was asked to standdown.
September 2, 2007: SMR was called out to search for a 49 year old male hunter. His pickup was located in the area of Mule Peak and the victim was recovered.
October 27, 2007: SMR was called out to search for a missing diabetic hunter, missing in the Jordan Peak area of SNM. The subject located safely and returned to his family.
December 2, 2007: SMR was called out to search for a 40 year old squirrel hunter that was lost in the Tyler Creek area of SNM. The man was safely located.
