A self-supporting, not-for-profit group of volunteer citizens
dedicated to improving safety in the Arizona wilderness.

Out-going Commander's Corner

This is the last "Commander's Corner" of the year and my last chance to address you as Tonto Rim's Commander. For those of you who were at the December General Meeting, I'll reiterate and for those of you who weren't, these words are for you. Tonto Rim Search and Rescue is the best group of people I've ever been associated with! It has been an honor and privilege to serve as Commander. The task could have been impossible, but for the cooperation and help of the various members. As Mike Taylor said a few years ago "…it's easy to lead when all you have to do is walk along side". The successes we experienced during my tenure were not due to any magic from me, but from the dedication, training, practice and the cooperation of all of you. The events and people associated with the past two years will live long in my memories and will undoubtedly become part of the Martin family history to share with my Grandchildren.

We now have a new Commander in the person of Dave Pirtle. Dave is highly qualified and will take the reins with a firm and steady hand, but he, like me or any other Commander cannot make Tonto Rim go by himself. He will need the cooperation and dedication of each and every one of us and I trust you will support him as you have supported me.

I also want to take this opportunity to let you know that I will still be very active with Tonto Rim. I will have a Board position and will be available to take on any tasks that I am asked to do. I plan to be associated with this great group as long as the legs hold out and the mind is fairly clear!

I wish you all happy holidays and the best in the coming year(s)!

With all my gratitude to each of you,
Jim 504



New Commander's Corner

Let me start out by saying I'm honored to be your new commander. I sincerely feel that I am surrounded by the best people I could ever ask for. I won't name all the names, but I can't go on without mentioning Jim Martin, our past commander. Jim has done an outstanding job leading Tonto Rim Search and Rescue Squad over the past two years. He has left nothing undone and for that I am grateful. Under Jim's leadership, TRSAR has provided Gila County the best squad the county has probably ever had.

Sgt. Terry Hudgens is also a key to our success. Terry is highly respected by everyone in the state for his skills and experience as a search coordinator. It's our job to continue to provide him with the best resources possible.

One way to help Terry is to continue our focus on training. The training programs that the squad has put in place over the years are primarily responsible for making us as successful as we are today. While I am commander, quality training will remain a top priority within our squad.

I am also a firm believer in good communication. Unfortunately, I'm a lousy mind reader. You can help in the communications process by bringing me your ideas, suggestions, feelings, and concerns.

In the time I have been a member of Tonto Rim Search and Rescue, I've noticed that a few admirable people always step up and take on more than their share of responsibility. I commend these members, because without them many things would never get done. I believe our newer members also have a lot of skills that we can draw on, and I hope to do so if you are willing. Any one who would like to become more involved in any specific aspect of the squad is encouraged to contact me.

We will both benefit if you become more active. I've found that when a person is working closely with fellow squad members for the common good, there is a tremendous feeling of contribution, participation, and belonging that not only helps the squad become better, but also helps each individual feel and perform better.

We have a great squad, and you should be proud of it. I certainly am. In the coming years, I look forward to working with all of you to help make our squad the best it can be.

Sincerely,

Dave Pirtle, 507

Don't forget; the meetings this month are Jan 6th for the Board and Jan 8th for the General Meeting.



A Senior Moment
By Jane Boyles

JOE RICHARDS
Coconino County Sheriff

The other night I heard on the news that an old friend has decided to retire. It did not come as a surprise, as Joe Richards has been Sheriff of Coconino County seemingly forever. There was a time when rules were not so strict in Search and Rescue, and John and I were asked to join Coconino SAR and be first responders to the Rim Country incidents. Jim Driscoll, the SAR Coordinator knew he could count on us and we knew every road up there and were only a couple miles from the county line. It was a good way for John and I to work together and as our response time was so short, we had command set up and running and a lot of the preliminary work done prior to the arrival of the Coconino SAR people coming out of Flagstaff. Now Joe is just an ordinary guy and a true friend. If warranted, Joe was out in the field observing and assisting wherever necessary. His coordinators knew that they had his ear if anything was needed.

SAR country in Coconino County covers many miles of varied terrain with the Grand Canyon cutting it in two. Coconino County is one of the biggest counties in the United States. There is a team of young college students ready to tackle the mountains for a lost snowboarder or avalanche victim. For years Deb Smith has rolled from one end to the other with her famous bloodhound, Liberty.

One of the biggest searches in Coconino was the Jennifer Wilson case. Jennifer was camping with her parents, a Marine family out of Yuma. Our job was to find the body. A sad ending for everyone,
But so necessary. Another big search was Danny Ray Horning who robbed a bank, came down to Pine for a few days and then ran the back roads of Coconino County, kidnapping a family, taking them into the National Park, bringing out the Marines from Quantico VA. He ended up down in Sedona where our own Jim Weeks had a hand in his capture as he hid under a deck of an exclusive home. One snowy night we were called to Flagstaff to hunt for a downed Fed EX plane with the snowcat. On each of these major multi-agency searches, Joe Richards was there and handling the media like a pro, never like a politician running for reelection. His main concern was for his personnel. Coconino can be unforgiving at times. Every Christmas he threw a big party at a local restaurant for all his volunteers. He loves woodworking and we will always cherish a wooden badge made as a replica of the official badge worn by the county officers.

We will miss Joe Richards. He was never afraid to express his appreciation of his volunteers. We wish him well.


What SAR should not be

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. - Mike Hill was out on a hunting trip when he got stuck in the muck. His would-be rescuers had similar luck -- one after another, after another, after another. Hill, who waded into waist-deep water Monday in a marshy area, grew cold and realized he was lost. He pulled out his cell phone and more than two dozen rescue workers from Bridgewater and surrounding towns arrived to search. But the rescuers couldn't reach Hill. Three firefighters set out on an airboat, but the boat got stuck. The firefighters themselves got mired in the marsh as they tried slogging on foot toward Hill, said Bridgewater Fire Chief Roderick Walsh. Another firefighter and a police officer with a rescue dog set out on an all terrain vehicle from another direction. They, too, got stuck in the swamp. Even a hovercraft brought in by a neighboring town got bogged down, Walsh said. "We had a lot of trouble locating him because he couldn't orient with anything. It was difficult for us to get in there," Walsh said. Ultimately, it was a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter that managed to pluck Hill, three firefighters, the police officer and the dog from the marsh -- hauling them up, dripping, through the trees to safety in a wire basket. "It was a pretty big mess," said Coast Guard Lt. Chris Zorman.


MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
By Dave Pirtle-507

DION LOYD #560

Dion joined Search and Rescue in May of this year. Like most of us, he has a love of the outdoors, likes to give back to the community and gets a feeling of satisfaction when helping.
He has experience with rope rescue after being a fireman in Farmington, NM, for a couple of years. He'll be joining the ropes team after his broken arm heals and he gets some strength back in it.
His broken arm came about from an ATV accident in August. He likes to ride for "fun". He also likes to water ski and snowboard. "Sitting" isn't in his nature so he doesn't hunt or fish. . . too slow. But, he has been out to varmint hunt and liked it.
Dion was born in Honolulu on October 16, 1970. He grew up around the San Francisco Bay area. Dion and his family came to Pine in 2001. Most of his life has been around automobiles and he is currently a Service Consultant for Chapman Chevrolet. His wife, Andria, is a dispatcher for GSCO. They have two
daughters, Kristen (12) and Cierra (9) as well as three Arabian horses.
We are proud to have Dion in our ranks.


TRSAR Mission

RON HAMBY SEARCH

This is as close to the "perfect search" as Gila County has come. We often talk about training, practice and more practice to hone the skill of tracking. We often talk about teamwork. This is it all in action. The following is taken from the debrief reports done by Commander and Master Tracker Jim Martin and Master Tracker Jim Oelerich with their permission since they were there.

On Tuesday, December 2, 2003 the Sheriff's Office was notified that two rider-less horses had returned to the Doll Baby Ranch- West of Payson- minus their saddle and gear. Two weeks earlier the owner of these two horses had camped there overnight at the edge of the wildness boundary where he had spoken to the caretaker of the ranch. Sgt. Terry Hudgens Gila County SAR coordinator and Tonto Rim SAR Commander Jim Martin went to the L-F Ranch further west down the trail to discuss with the operator if she had seen or knew of the whereabouts of the owner of the horses. While she had not seen him, she had heard a commotion the previous week but could not tell where it came from as it echoed off the canyon walls. The two men hiked over to the #34 trail and found two distinct sets of horse tracks, one unshod, going in both directions. Further checking at the Doll Baby confirmed that indeed one of the horses was unshod. While Commander Martin followed the outgoing tracks down a lesser trail, the L-F Ranch caretaker, Maryann, acting as guide, and Sgt Hudgens, flew with a DPS Ranger Helicopter down a portion of the trail checking water holes and known springs and corrals where horse escape was suspected. Commander Martin followed the trail ¼ mile further where it cut cross-country up hill to rejoin the #34 trail. In tracking west on that trail, he confirmed the subject had indeed rode west and the same tracks covered themselves going back east. ATV and foot personnel were called out to track the trail between the two ranches to eliminate the possibility of the subject becoming unhorsed on either the trail or the FR406 road which connects the two ranches. On Wednesday, command was set up and foot searchers were assigned to stage at the L-F Ranch. Commander Martin was assigned to fly in and cut sign along the #34 and #269 trails. At Trailside Tank he confirmed tracks in both directions. He then checked the #269 trail where it crossed the East Verde River and at the lower Wet Bottom Mesa and found no tracks. On Thursday one team was flown into Childers Seep Spring (last sign). Dave Beckstead and Bill Pitterle tracked the subject to where he got into trouble. Ron Crimmins and Jim Martin were dropped in a half mile lower on the trail and confirmed that he had not been on at least one mile of the #269 trail. It was Thursday before Sgt Hudgens finally found out the subjects' name. On Friday Bill Pitterle and Jim Oelerich resumed the search from where Pitterle and Beckstead had left off the previous day. Quoting from Jim Oelerich's report, he "was immediately impressed with the work the previous trackers had done. The terrain had a bit of everything. Transition zone flora mainly, the grass was high and thick. In the past week, rain had obliterated the sign. Hoof prints vanished as quickly as they appeared, as though the horses had flown over the area, only once and a while touching down to leave a clue." Forty minutes into the off again on again progress south, the helicopter was heard bringing in the third team. Over the radio was heard that Don Johnson had found the subjects' campsite, just around the bend from where Pitterle and Oelerich were. The subject's gear was spread out on the ground-saddles, backpacks, compass and rifle in a scabbard, tent and tarp all rolled up, a western coat and more personal stuff was trampled into the ground This was all photographed. Then fearing for the subjects life, the trackers moved on, finding an old marijuana growers camp with no sign of the subject. Finding a questionable track in a dried mud pool, Pirtle called to Oelerich to come check it out. So deteriorated was this track that it was barely recognizable. They circled that sign and proceeded down the Mesa following a difficult trail, putting the puzzle together a clue at a time. Still they were not sure if the subject was moving south. Needing to confirm their suspicions, the men worked better stronger together than apart, because one would see what another hadn't. Each time when they thought they had the direction figured out, the clues would vanish. They found what they thought were heal prints, very soft outlines. They saw disturbed stones, disturbed soil, etc, but so confounding was the sign that more then once they wondered if they were tracking a large deer. Remember this sign could have been up to two weeks old and prior to a rain storm. When the trackers came to the bottom of the slope, they found two faint but full prints, a left and right boot print along side an ocotillo. These tracks were so unusual as the subject walked splay footed. They now knew two things about the subject for certain-he was off the Mesa and that he had a manner of walking as unique as a fingerprint. However, his tracks created a fly in the ointment. Whenever he walked it always looked like he was going off trail. Martin and Crimmons were south of Oelerich and Pirtle, and were able to track backwards up to them over terrain black with patina and almost volcanic in nature. They described it as finding onyx on asphalt! The men were convinced that the subject was headed toward the Verde River and had only a few more miles to go to prove it. They contacted the DPS Ranger helo, who landed and moved Pirtle and Crimmons to just north of the river. They found sign once again. Ranger then picked up Martin and Oelerich and immediately a sense of urgency was present in all the men as they knew they were hot on his trail. Well over twenty miles later, in the loose sand of the Verde River, it was obvious the subject had shuffled through. His Charlie Chaplin-like track was so distinct that they didn't need to land to follow it. When the chopper crossed the Verde River, the men left Gila County. They headed into Red Creek, tracking from the helicopter, going deeper and deeper into Yavapai County. It was the easiest tracking of the week. When Ranger thought they had gone far enough, coordinates were taken and calls were made to turn the search over to Yavapai County Search and Rescue.

CONCLUSION: A good one. The subject Ron Hamby was found alive, though very dehydrated less then a mile from where the search was turned over to the Yavapai SAR. His story: He ran out of water, could not find any, hence on and off the trail. The animals balked, so he figured they would have a better chance of survival on their own, so he turned them loose, stowed his gear and moved on alone. His eventual goal was to winter in Yuma in the south west part of this big state. Short term goal-he was confused and dehydrated. We just don't know.

Oelerich's summary is worth repeating: "This is a tracker's dream. Seven years of participation with Tonto Rim SAR and this mission was the most dazzling group effort that I have ever witnessed. The mission tested our abilities as searchers and we worked flawlessly as a team. Everyone performed well, no exceptions. Credit goes to the TRSAR volunteers who were not there because on some level, their contribution and commitment produced the group that was-a few may go, but everyone was there. In addition, from the Sheriff's Department, Sgt Terry Hudgens was his usual meticulous, detail driven self. He organized an excellent search, and he displayed as usual his uncanny ability to produce results, just as he has so many times in the past. We are lucky to have him. This time, we really made him smile! Overall there was no single searcher responsible for the eventual location of Hamby-it was teamwork. However, Beckstead and Pitterle should get the MVP for tracking those horses up and down those canyons. I saw that country; Tough stuff. Dave and Bill were so close to Hamby's camp, a stone's throw, really. It was upon their success that the mission arrived to a satisfactory conclusion. As far as DPS Ranger One: Dave and Ron, the chopper pilots out of Flagstaff were extraordinary. On that last day they let us do our jobs and helped us in every way they could, hauling us here and there. They flew, they landed, they were comedic too. We'd be happy to work with them again! At one point, just at the end, after several late afternoon mid-air spins, I could feel green washing over me. Merry-go-rounds bring on the same. Big beads of sweat! I kidded with them, 'One more circle and we will need air freshener back here'. They laughed but we were already on our way home."

To other SAR members, this is what it is all about: Training, practice, team work, dedication and LEADERSHIP. This was a perfect search with perfect results. What Tonto Rim strives for: --

THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE!
Jane Boyles

WEBSITES

Check out our site at: www.trsar.org


LOCAL WEATHER
Courtesy of Bill Pitterle 541

http://wjpitterle.mystarband.net/weather/wx.htm

For Sale

Polaris ATV:

2001 Magnum 325, 4 stroke, 4 wheel drive: $4,200

14' ATV trailer (one yr. old) w/permanent license: $1,000

Call Lynn 472-8063

TRAINING SCHEDULE
 

Scheduled Training Sessions (current)

2004

08 Jan. Thurs. Navigation Training-Time: Following General meeting-Jim Oelerich in charge. Needed: Navigational tools.

10 Jan. Sat. Man tracking certification-- Time and location TBA Les Hulse in charge 3 candidates have been selected. Beckstead, Pitterle, Miotto

14 Jan. Wed ATV Exercise- 0900-- Hog Canyon, staging at Rye - needed supplies-food water , survival gear, Tonto NFS map, topo maps, compass, scales, GPS, and issued radios. Purpose: familiarization of area (winter survival) --in charge-( John Avery)

17 Jan. Sat. Rope Training 0900 Place TBA (in charge Rope Team Instructors) interested people invited to attend.
 

Planned Training Sessions (after next general meeting)

Planned * Navigation Training-TBA---- Jim Olerich

Planned * Tracking Practice - time and location TBA (in charge: Les Hulse)
All levels - there will be easy, medium, and hard routes

Planned * Man Tracking Cert, Classroom and Field Exercise in Feb. or March

APRIL Safety Officer will begin CPR or First Responder Certification-time and location TBA In charge Ira Gibel.

Planned * Basic SAR Academy


… If you would like to volunteer to run a training session, or if you have a training session request,
Contact Les Hulse or John Boyles


Sign-up required to attend this training

* See following notes:

To reserve use of squad ATV or trail bike, contact John Avery at 928-476-2106 or 480-892-4424
To use trail bikes: gloves, boots, helmet, and eye protection required. Denim jacket on ATV required.

Other items

If any of you are interested in a stuffed SAR animal, major stores have a couple animal toys as a bloodhound and a German Shepherd with Search and Rescue vest called "Help a Hero" dog toy. Very Cute and only $8.00 +/-. If you don't need it for your pet to chew on, it looks nice on the dash of your car. We're not advertising for anyone here, however, the manufacturer, Hartz , donates $1.00 to the AKC CAR Canine Support and Relief Fund. This Fund supports Search and Rescue dogs across America.


Thanks to those who contributed to this issue of the newsletter.
Mike