Mounted search and rescue

[Una Smith <una.smith@att.net>]

In New Mexico, a local newspaper in Silver City does an unusually good
job of reporting on search and rescue missions in the area.  The area
includes the Gila Wilderness, a magnet for solo hikers from around the
world.  In this week's search the subject was found by chance by local
horse riders, 6 days after he set out on a day hike and did not return
to his car.

        Una Smith
        New Mexico

http://www.scsun-news.com/ci_13931883
http://www.scsun-news.com/ci_13923061
http://www.scsun-news.com/ci_13915259


By Christine Steele / Sun-News Bureau Chief
Posted: 12/05/2009 01:00:00 AM MST

SILVER CITY - Robert Sumrall, a 67-year-old El Paso man, was found  
alive Friday afternoon after being missing since last Saturday, when  
he did not return from a day hike at Emory Pass with his dog, Zulu.

A helicopter from Southwest Medevac was called in to fly him to an El  
Paso hospital. No information was available as to his condition, but  
the woman who found him said she doubted he would have survived  
another day.

Melba Parra, and her husband, Tom, were heading out on their horses to  
round up cattle late Friday afternoon on the ranch they lease on Royal  
John Mine Road, when Melba spotted Sumrall lying in an arroyo, under a  
tree, with his dog Zulu at his side.

"We were coming in with the horses and we found him lying in an  
arroyo. My husband went for help," Parra said. "I think the only thing  
that kept him alive in this cold was this black lab. She was laying  
next to him. He was really cold "

While her husband went for help, Melba stayed with Sumrall.

"We put jackets on him and tried to keep him warm," Parra said, "and I  
covered up his head."

Parra lay down close to Sumrall, trying to give him some body heat.

"His mouth was really dry, I gave him some water. He was moaning and  
kept saying he wanted me to hold his hand," she said.

While Parra comforted Sumrall and tried to keep him warm, Zulu took off.

Parra said Sumrall was lying on damp ground, and wearing jeans, light  
hiking boots, a thin windbreaker and thin coat, and the backs of his  
hands were all scratched up.

Parra stayed with him and talked to him until help arrived.

Search and rescue volunteer Marc Levesque, who worked communications  
at incident base on the search Thursday, said Sumrall was found five  
miles up on Royal John Mine Road.

Parra said she first read about Sumrall being missing in Thursday's  
Sun-News.

"My dad and I used to hunt these mountains, and I thought maybe he  
followed the Gallinas down from Emory Pass. I was just thinking about  
him and feeling really bad, and when I saw him I just knew right away  
that was him," she said. "He wouldn't have survived another night out  
there. You can see where he was kicking in the sand. I guess God must  
have put us over here for him."

Searchers began looking for Sumrall on Sunday afternoon, and searched  
through the night in blizzard conditions. The heavy snow forced them  
to temporarily call off the search Monday afternoon, but it resumed  
again on Tuesday. He endured bitter cold temperatures throughout the  
week.

After Sumrall was medevaced out, Parra's husband, Tom, and his  
brother, Abie, continued searching the canyons for Sumrall's dog,  
Zulu, who likely helped him survive six cold nights in the mountains.  
They were joined by Frankie Benois, a search and rescue area commander  
who lives off Royal John Mine Road.

"I don't think she'll come to them," Melba Parra said.

Parra left Zulu a bowl of dog food at the spot where she found her  
lying with Sumrall, and said she would be willing to go back this  
morning to help search for her.

Neighbors all along the stretch of Royal John Mine Road where Robert  
Sumrall was found have phoned each other and are leaving their lights  
on and periodically going outside to call Zulu's name in hopes that  
she will come to them.

At 7 p.m. Friday night, Paige Strait, Robert Sumrall's daughter, was  
at University Hospital in El Paso with her stepsister, Wendy Hoggard,  
and Wendy's husband, Chris, waiting for Sumrall and to find out more  
on his condition.

They plan to help in the search for Zulu today.

"Zulu is still out there," Strait said. "She's terrified and won't  
come to them. Tomorrow my sister and I are going to go out there with  
a package of hot dogs and her favorite toy."

Christine Steele can be reached at csteele@scsun-news.com; (575)  
538-5893, ext. 5802.



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