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msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] snow searches

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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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  • From: Lois Guyon <laguyon2@yahoo.com>
  • To: Mounted search and rescue <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] snow searches
  • Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2011 20:40:28 -0800 (PST)





Thank you all for your reflections on searches in snow/wind/winter. I think
this is the first discussion of the topic I remember. I am going to put
together an outline of the issues you raise for use in training. We will
have a
debriefing in a couple of weeks, once the case has been analyzed further, and
your remarks will be helpful to our team.

The mounted unit was not called out for the initial three day search as the
conditions were not safe. The search was eventually suspended due to
dangerous
searching conditions. The IC made the right call. I kept waiting for the
phone
to ring and was very worried we would be called out. My first cause for
concern was the yard at the barn where I would have to load my horse. It was
a
sheet of ice about three inches thick. Corn cobs had been spread on a small
area
so that the horses could walk from the barn to a paddock, but even that area
was
not all that safe. Roads used to access the search areas were snow and ice
packed as well. I think I may have declined to search under those
conditions.
By the time we were called out, the conditions were much improved, although
it
was still cold.

David, thank you and the Tazewell EMA for coming up to help with the search.
We
are grateful for the help of teams from many jurisdictions. I spoke with a
dog
handler from the Chicago area and understand there were dogs brought in from
out
of state. It certainly made me proud of the SAR community.

Lois








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