Mounted search and rescue

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

I worked logistics for a SAR mission Saturday.  The situation was some
backpackers were overdue from a 2-night trip into the San Pedro Parks,
a high altitude wilderness area with no cell service.  The backpackers
were fine.  They had made a wrong turn and finally came out on a road
and hitchhiked back to the trailhead.

The area is all grass meadows ("parks") and very thick forest (in which
travel is very difficult) with well used clear trails, and these were
experienced backpackers deemed unlikely to get lost, so our scenario
analysis led us to put a high weight on a medical issue hence urgency.  
If they did get lost they would be on a trail and come out somewhere.
Our initial search strategy involved a state police officer interviewing
everyone encountered coming out of the area, plus sending multiple hasty
search teams deep into the area.  Because it is a wilderness area, wheeled
vehicles are not allowed except when there is a known imminent loss of
life, limb, or eye.  We were angling for helicopter or fixed wing aerial
search, and I called out multiple teams including all MSAR within 200
miles.  Horse teams are especially useful for hasty search in wilderness
areas and for subjects expected to travel many miles from the trailhead.

I called 4 horse teams.  One deployed 6 riders.  One deployed 3 riders
and had more preparing to follow.  One spent 4 hours trying to contact
members but got nowhere;  everyone was already out.  In New Mexico many
people have regular jobs in town and also run cattle in remote ranches.
They spend their weekends on horseback working their cattle.  I should
have called this team around 5am.  One did not answer my calls at all.
The next day I got a call from that team;  they had been horse camping
in San Pedro Parks and heard about the search and were standing by to
participate.

The two teams that deployed riders got cancelled en route.  This is what
usually happens to these teams, and it is frustrating for them but it
happens because these teams are highly valued.  They are skilled and on
horse.  They are being called before other teams and they will be tasked
with the initial hasty search.

I am proud that we have so many MSAR teams here in New Mexico, and that
most of them get called often enough that they are able to respond
efficiently.  The 2 that did not launch are in parts of the state where
the number of SAR missions is low, so they have few opportunities to
practice responding.  The number of missions is low, but that does not
mean the need for SAR is equally low.  Those parts of our state lack SAR
infrastructure at all levels and there is no point calling for SAR when
effectively there is no SAR to be had.

        Una Smith
        New Mexico