ST. MARYS — It was definitely an interesting year for the Elkland Search and Rescue of St. Marys.
In a report released Friday, officials shared that last year was the first time the search and rescue put a drone into use in a search.
“Families or companions of the missing persons are requesting help for a search party much sooner than Elkland SAR has seen in the past years, which lead to a faster find and quicker care for the missing person,” Elkland Search and Rescue Chief John Feldbauer said. “Some hikers and hunters seem to be carrying some sort of survival gear and more individuals are better equipped if they become disoriented in the outdoors than in the past years.”
Handheld radios are also a good tool if someone gets lost, the report stated.
“It’s important for the family or hunting companions to have a designated channel planned ahead of time for this kind of situation. Another bit of advice to remember is a radio will have trouble if in steep terrain, but as rescuers become closer to the victim, the radio can be a big help in locating a missing person,” he said.
Officials also pointed out that hypothermia is real. Dampness, either caused by weather or self-induced by sweating, can have a very big effect on a person outdoors, he said.
“Exposure to the elements can happen at any temperature and it doesn’t have to be below a certain temperature for a person to have an onset of hypothermia,” Feldbauer said. “Clothing can be a great barrier and definitely help in keeping a person out of trouble, but the length of time a person is exposed to the elements must be considered when a person goes missing and the proper response for the missing person must be achieved. “
Elkland Search and Rescue members witnessed two cases of hypothermia this year, according to the report.
“Once was an individual, that when located, was able to consume three bottles of water instantly,” the report stated. “Was this severe? No, not at the time the individual was located, and actually probably more of a dehydrated issue at the time of the find.”
Throughout the year, the search and rescue team assisted at Parker Dam State Park on Jan. 1 to help search for a male individual who was eventually located unharmed in a neighboring community; helped find a male individual in the north end of the Grant Road area near Ridgway on March 5; assisted finding a hiker who became separated in the Quehanna Wilds Area from his hiking group and was located the following morning unharmed on May 28; assisted locating a special-needs male in Johnsonburg on June 6 who was returned home unharmed; helped locate on Oct. 17 a small plane, where there ended up being no survivors, in Keating Summit; assisted at a large forest fire located off of U.S. Route 219 in Elk County; and helped locate a hunter on Dec. 2 in the Spring Creek Township area who returned to his hunting companions.
“We ask for your and the communities [sic] continued financial support, so we can continue to be ready at a moment’s notice to assist with and supply the needed training and tools a search or wildfire situation may present,” Feldbauer said. “With this support we can continue to do what we do, search so others may live!”
