Mounted search and rescue

["Jeff Ezell" <eztech@pdq.net>]

I can testify that Terry's (Polk Co & Marshall Co, MN) teams do both the
ATV, MSAR & search management very well. Last October while leading a search
as a search manager for www.texasequusearch.org in N Dakota, they came from
MN to help. Missing for over three months on his way back from Michigan to
Montana was a 19 y/o Native American male. The ATV guys did all of the below
listed activities and made the MSAR riders and ground pounders much more
effective to clear the prime areas. Some included really tough areas in the
Red River bottoms. As a search manager I felt that their ATV resource was
very effective and not just a bunch of guys "riding around" on ATVs "on a
search". MSARs can sometimes get accused of the same "riding around" if not
well organized. It was great to see them working together to provide such an
effective resource, much better than them working each independently. We did
also use ATVs to rapidly clear & recon RRs, fence lines, roadsides, and lots
of open cleared land areas.

Note: The Grand Forks PD and Grand Forks Co SO did an incredible job of
working together providing maps, mobile command center, LE support, MSAR
staging area, etc. They coordinated the Red Cross & Salvation Army to feed
my searchers as well (and Hunter). It was a very impressive coordination and
cooperation for this search effort. LE had no proof that any crime had been
committed but they really pitched in on the effort.

About a week later the subject was found in the direction we predicted by a
rancher, looking for a cow that escaped his moving trailer at an
intersection on the way to auction. He was in a wooded wind-row 100 miles
away from PLS, 1/4 mile off Hwy 2 on the path home to Montana. Unfortunately
he had been brutally murdered. It's one of those searches where someone
other than the SAR team finds the subject, but seemingly helped by the
prayers of all, especially his Native American tribesmen. They had traveled
700 miles from Montana with horses to help. Who can explain why the
rancher's moving trailer door opened in the very area where his body needed
to be found? We start every search with a morning prayer. They also had a
prayer circle in their native language. It was very moving and I think
effective. The family at least got some closure.

I'm sure you can't include a morning prayer in your MSAR NASAR standards,
but at least maybe offer the opportunity to those who want to participate.
Families need all the help they can get!

Jeff Ezell
US Regional Search Dogs
US Search Affiliates
...to Search...to Save...
jeff@usrsd.org <mailto:usrsdjeff@usrsd.org>


-----Original Message-----
From: msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org]On Behalf Of wwfarm
Sent: Friday, November 14, 2003 10:54 AM
To: Mounted search and rescue
Subject: Re: [MSAR] atv mounted.


Bonnie writes-> Stick to horses - those ATVs will get you hurt.

True - Most of our horses know not to trust there riders 100% which helps to
keep us out of trouble The ATVs aren't that smart. Plus it hard to talk to a
ATV.

Our Groups ATV use as it pertains to SAR;
We have a ATV leader that developed some very good search procedures that
work well in open country with little to no cover. (In our region we have a
lot of this type of terrain)

Other wise we use them for;
#1 Recon support for MSAR teams.( Which works great!)
#2 Perimeter search and observation.
#3 Relay messages when radios can not get thru.
#4 Gophers - Go  for everything we need.

TER


_______________________________________________
MSAR-riders mailing list
MSAR-riders@lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/msar-riders