At 1600 hrs he dug a snow cave for the night.  He heard 40-King but it was clouded in and could not see them. 40-King at first could not search the area between 8,000 and 10,500 ft due to clouds, so we were gearing up for a long search with 10 assignments that needed about 30 to 40 searchers. 40-King tried one more time before the end of their shift, after the summmit briefly cleared of clouds, and saw our subject with his headlamp waving. They picked him up and brought him down to Cow Canyon Saddle at about 2230 hrs, ending the mission on a happy note.  

Our subject was very smart and stayed put, instead of heading down into any direction off the mountain, since he had no idea where he was.  We have had several lost hikers in the past in the same conditions who have actually travelled west and north, going deeper into the wilderness of Fish Fork and Iron Mtn.

There are 19 fully-accredited MRA teams in California, so scheduling the tests is an exercise in organization. West Valley SAR and the Cave Team were on the same track. We began the day with an ELT search followed by a patient care scenario at the "crash site". The Cave Team's ELT plot from the day is shown below. For each team there were two evaluators. One evaluator accompanied the team in the field and the other evaluator assessed the command post crew.

View MRA ELT Plot in a larger map

The rest of the morning was spent on a grid search, where teams were scored on their technique and the number of items found.

After a quick lunch our search and tracking exercise began. We were given a bit of information on our missing hiker that included the last known point (LKP). Once we received this information we had to spool up the CP and deploy teams.

View Cave Search Map in a larger map

The Cave Team deployed a team to the LKP to cut for sign and a "hasty team" to quickly search high-probability trails. After these teams entered the field we were provided a shoeprint from our missing subject on a sheet of aluminum foil. This did not photograph well, so we sketched it and made it part of the paperwork for subsequent teams. We were able to email the sketch to field teams about the same time that they came across a possible print. The field team was able to snap a photo with a cell phone, and the CP was able to confirm that the track was, indeed, the missing person's. The direction of travel was established, and further resources were deployed. After nearly 2 hours from our briefing, we located our subject.

Under an awning to avoid the rain, the day ended with our evaluators reviewing our performance and offering suggestions as to our techniques and methods. Evaluators checked for medical techniques, command post protocol, tracking methods, and how field teams and managers responded to unexpected events. In all, it is a comprehensive evaluation, and one of the most beneficial exercises that our team does each year.

Having outside observers evaluate your performance as a team is key to maintaining your team's readiness. My team's proficiency has improved steadily since initiating the MRA accreditation process nearly 10 years ago. I would highly recommend it to other teams. Full accrediation is not a simple matter, but I guarantee that your team will improve as a result. If your team is interested in pursuing MRA accreditation, feel free to contact me at any time with questions.

Please give me a call if you plan on attending so that we know how many snacks and refreshments will be needed. 

Lt. Paterson is hoping that he will have the opportunity to meet as many of our volunteers and department personnel as possible. I hope that you will join us in welcoming him.