2005 Mission Summaries
Marin County Sheriff's Department Search and Rescue Team 

05-01
01-06-05 Missing Child in Novato. Marin SAR responded for a missing 6 y.o. boy who ran away from his home. As the first members arrived on scene, the child was located.

05-02
01-13-05 San Rafael Evidence Search. Twelve Marin SAR members assisted San Rafael Police for an evidence search after a shooting. Members logged 3 hours each.

05-03
01-16-05 Amy Xu Search, China Camp State Park. Marin SAR was requested to respond to search for a missing 43 y.o. female who was reported missing the previous day. Her car was located at the Buckeye Point Picnic area, next to the bay and adjacent to a large wilderness area on San Pedro Ridge. Thirty Marin SAR members began hasty searching the area. The Marin County USAR water rescue team was deployed to cover the water areas and CHP H-30 and an airplane from the air patrol covered the area from the air. We also requested mutual aid teams from Sonoma and Contra Costa counties and eight CARDA search dogs. The search was suspended that night and plans where made for the next day.

05-03: Day 2
01-17-05 Amy Xu Search. Fourteen Marin SAR members with mutual aid from Contra Costa, Alameda, San Mateo, BAMRU, CAL-ESAR, Napa, the Sheriff's Dive Team and USAR water rescue team started searching at first light. The search area was expanded to grid search the East side of San Pedro Ridge and re-search water areas. Teams were assigned to cover steep ravines and brushy hillsides. At the end of the day, 1290 square acres where covered. No further leads of sightings came in. The search was suspended at this time until further leads come in.

05-04
01-17-05 Mt. Tam Search. As we were demobilizing from the Xu search, we were requested to respond from missing hikers in the area of Alpine Lake. The hikers called CHP on a cell phone and said they were lost. CHP then lost contact with the caller. Twenty members responded with Water District Rangers to Sky Oaks Ranger station. As teams were deploying, the hikers where able to find their way out on the Cataract trail.

05-03: Day 3
01-22-05 Amy Xu Search. Thirty Marin SAR with nine mutual aid SAR members from Napa Co. SAR, six CARDA search dogs, deputies and the Southern Marin Dive Team searched areas of China Camp again for Amy Xu. Several densely forested hillsides areas where searched again and the water areas were also re-covered. No new clues were located.

05-05
02-01-05 Bijoy Mathew Search, Napa County Mutual Aid. Eight Marin SAR members responded at 10:00 PM for a missing hiker in the Palisades region in Northern Napa County adjacent Mt. St. Helena for an overdue hiker who became separated from his party early that afternoon. Team members where deployed from the trail head and hiked in three miles to hasty search the point last seen. After tracks were located by a CARDA team in the early morning hours, the team worked with several other teams area searching around the clue. The terrain was very steep and rugged with dense vegetation and sustained winds of 40-60 mph. Other Marin members worked with Napa SAR at the C.P. to make plans for the next operation period. The next morning teams from Lake, Sonoma, Solano, San Mateo CAL-SAR and Calistoga Fire joined the effort. The subject was located in good condition the next morning around 8:30 AM about ¼ of a mile off trail in the search area by Sonoma SO 10 Henry 1. They reported the heavy turbulence and where just leaving when they made the find. He had traveled about a ½ mile from PLS.

05-03: Resolution
02-04-05 Amy Xu was located deceased in the water in the late afternoon near Mc Nears Beach, about 1 mile South of Buckeye Point.

05-06
02-13-05 Marin General Hospital Search. Marin SAR was requested to support deputies, Twin Cites PD and MGH security staff in the search for a missing male cardiac patient with dementia who was last seen in the third floor cardiac ward. As members were responding, a Twin Cites PD unit located the subject about a mile away at a local grocery store.

05-07
02-19-05 Mt. St. Helena aircraft accident recovery operation. Twenty two members responded early Saturday morning on a Type 1 Technical Rescue Team request to assist Napa County SAR with the recovery of two deceased victims, mid-slope on Mt. St. Helena (4100ft). Due to poor weather and one part of the wreckage being suspended on a 200 cliff, aviation was not available to support the operation. Fog limited visibility to 50-200 ft. and it rained during much of the operation. 35 Marin and Napa SAR members were deployed into two chain saw teams, two litter teams, a technical rope team and support. Once the initial team located the wreckage using a UTM from a helicopter the previous day, chain saw teams worked to make access from both the top and bottom. Dense vegetation, boulder fields and rock fall hampered the operation and made access challenging. The technical team was required to lower two members down a 150ft cliff to gain access to one of the victims. News article about the mission.

05-08
03-09-05 San Rafael Evidence Search. Eight Marin SAR members supported by Police Explorers from San Anselmo and Novato PD assisted Sheriff's detectives in looking for a weapon used in a stabbing. Members logged three hours each

05-08: Day 2
03-10-05 San Rafael Evidence Search. Six Marin SAR members searched additional areas for the weapon. Evidence was located during the second days effort.

05-09
03-21-05 Lake County Mutual Aid Search. Seven Marin SAR members responded at 0430 hrs. on a Type 1 Alpine Search Team request to assist Lake County SAR on a missing backpacker in the Snow Mountain Wilderness (7200 ft.) in the Mendocino National Forest. Once at the command post in Upper Lake, members were driven by USFS vehicles two hours on remote fire roads to the Summit Springs trail head on Snow Mountain. The missing subject was a 25 y.o. male whose dad dropped him off the week prior. When we arrived on scene, he was two days overdue. The team started up from the PLS to search the top of the peak. As the team ascended the mountain, heavy snow and wind set in making visibility poor. As the team neared the summit, the subject was located by a Lake Co. team searching the lower mountain area, in a remote cabin twelve miles away. The subject was in good condition, but said he had been lost and was having a difficult time from the day he was dropped off. CARDA, Placer Co. MRT and Shasta County SAR also responded Type 1 teams to support the search effort. Photos from the mission.

05-10
03-27-05 Pt. Reyes National Seashore Cadaver Search. Thirteen Marin SAR members along with three CARDA cadaver dogs responded to search the area and beach around Coast Camp after a human foot was reportedly found in the campground. Once we arrived on scene, the Coroner's investigator determined it was not human in origin and all resources were released.

05-11
03-31-05 China Camp State Park Search. Twenty-eight members responded for a missing 6 and 8 year old brother and sister who were last seen two hours prior when they became separated from their parents during a hike. As members were deploying, they walked into the command post. They had been lost but were in good condition. State Park Rangers and Deputies also responded.

05-12
04-14-05 Logistics support for San Geronimo SRT operation. SAR responded five members to support the SRT for a barricaded subject in a house.

05-13
04-24-05 Mariposa Mutual Aid Search. Marin SAR responded five members for a missing 84 y.o. man near Fish Camp whose car was located stuck and burned up on a remote Forest Service access road at 5000 ft in the Sierra National Forest. The missing subject, Doug Pearse, was believed be disoriented and lost in the area. The team was assigned a day long area search assignment and encountered rain and hail for most of the day along with steep canyons and dense vegetation. This was the third operational period of the search. Photos from the mission.

05-13: Day 2
04-26-05 Mariposa Mutual Aid. Five Marin SAR members responded back for the fifth operational period, one team was assigned an area search assignment and another team was given several ATV assignments. Some clues were located by K-9 teams this day that included tracks and scent alerts about ½ from the vehicle.

05-14
04-26-05 Missing Hiker, San Geronimo Ridge. Marin SAR was started for a missing hiker about 5 hours overdue in the Kent Lake Watershed. As members began to mobilize, a Marin County Fire Battalion Chief conducting a hasty search of the fire roads located the subject lost, but in good shape.

05-13: Day 3
04-27-05 Mariposa Mutual Aid. With three fresh members and two who remained, Marin SAR fielded five members for more area search and ATV assignments. Weather and terrain continued to be a problem. Numerous teams from around California continued to support Mariposa SAR for this effort.

05-13: Day 4
04-29-05 Mariposa Mutual Aid. On the seventh operational period of the search, we sent two search managers to assist Mariposa in planning a major push for the Saturday operations. Members drove the area and assisted with planning assignments and developing an Incident Action Plan.

05-13: Day 5
04-30-05 Mariposa Mutual Aid. For the Saturday push, Marin sent eleven members who assisted with management, logistics and provided a large area search team to assist with a focused search of a ½ radius of the most recent clues located. Terrain was challenging with steep canyons and dense vegetation. No further clues were located. SAR Teams from as far away as San Bernardino and Ventura as well as many closer teams assisted with the efforts.

05-15
05-01-05 Sonoma County Mutual Aid Search. Fifteen Marin SAR members responded to assist Sonoma SAR for a missing 81 y.o. male who walked away from his remote cabin on a densely forested ridge above Monte Rio in the Russian River Valley. The missing subject has health problems and had recently moved to the area from the City. The search was challenging due to steep terrain, dense vegetation and numerous undocumented roads and trails. The search was suspended Sunday with no clues located. Other responding teams included CARDA, Napa and Contra Costa SAR.

05-16
06-12-05 Mt. Tam Rescue Response. Seven Marin SAR members responded with Stinson Beach and Marin County Fire Units for a runner down on the Dipsea trail. Members were committed for about an hour assisting with a mile long carryout.

05-17
06-13-05 Mt. Tam Rescue Response. Four SAR members responded SAR 2 with MMWD Rangers and Marin County Fire for a hiker with a fractured ankle on the High Marsh Trail. Members hiked into the scene to assist with the carryout and where committed for one hour.

05-18
06-20-05 San Rafael Evidence Search. Twenty Marin SAR members responded for an evidence search after a shooting incident in central San Rafael. Members logged three hours each.

05-19
06-22-05 Yosemite Mutual Aid Search. Seven members responded for two separate searches in Yosemite National Park. Five members responded to the Valley District for a missing camper whose camp site was found abandoned with all his equipment present. Members worked on plans for several hours until investigations determined he was most likely out of the area. Two members responded for the Ficery search in the Mather District for a missing backpacker, assisting with mapping and deploying in the field. This search continued for a week with no clues beyond the subject's pack being found abandoned by the trail 10 miles beyond the trail head at 8000 feet. Numerous SAR teams supported this search with Type 1 teams.

05-20
06-25-05 Mt. Tam Rescue Response. Ten Marin SAR members responded with Ross Valley Fire, Marin County Fire and Water District Ranges for a technical rescue of a hiker who fell 40ft. off the Cataract trail and sustained a head injury. Members assisted in setting up numerous rope belays for an area requiring a protracted technical litter carryout that took nearly two hours and twenty personnel.

05-21
07-08-05 Fresno County Mutual Aid. Marin SAR responded eight Type 1 members for a missing Boy Scout in the area of Kaiser Pass (9000ft) who became separate from his group. As we were responding, the Scout was located by a helicopter 36 hours after he was last seen. Marin SAR then diverted to Yosemite for some training.

05-22
07-09-05 Yosemite Rescue. Six Marin SAR members training in the park responded with NPS Rangers and YOSAR for a technical carryout on the Mist Trail for a hiker with injured knees. Members were committed for three hours.

05-23
07-10-05 Yosemite Missing Person Search. Seven Marin SAR members assisted NPS Rangers and YOSAR in the search for a missing cross-country runner last seen on top of El Capitan at 3:00PM the previous afternoon. She was located at 10:00 AM in good condition by a YOSAR hasty team near the point last seen.

05-24
07-11-05 Mt. Tam Rescue Response. Three members responded with Water District Rangers, Ross Valley and Marin County Fire for a hiker with an ankle injury requiring a technical carryout on the Cataract trail. Members were committed for two hours on the operation.

05-25
07-23-05 Yosemite Mutual Aid Evidence Search. Twenty-four Marin SAR members assisted NPS Rangers in a wide area evidence search. Members logged eight hours each. Mono and Mariposa SAR also assisted with the operation.

05-26
07-26-05 Yosemite Missing Person Search. Two Marin SAR members assisted with the search for a missing Korean National who set off to hike the John Muir Trail the month prior and was overdue. Members worked as spotters on aviation assignments, developed plans and downloaded GPS tracks of aviation and ground teams. Mr. Ahn was located a week later by a ground team in Tenaya Canyon by a YOSAR ground team deceased from a fall.

05-27
07-28-05 Contra Costa Mutual Aid. Thirteen Marin SAR responded members with nearly every other Bay Area Region SAR team for a missing day hiker who went for a hike four days earlier in Briones Regional Park near Martinez. The subject was last seen near the middle of the park on a fire road. A total of 80 ground searchers, two helicopters and several dog teams and numerous friends and family members. No clues were located.

05-27: Day 2
07-29-05 Five Marin SAR members responded all day for a third operation period on the Briones Regional Park Search conducting difficult off trail area searching in steep and brushy terrain. No further clues were located.

05-27: Day 3
07-31-05 Four Marin SAR members responded and worked all day assisting with field search and plans. No further clues were located.

05-27: Day 4
08-6-05 Five Marin SAR members responded on a final all day push that included well over a 100 SAR personnel from nearly all Bay Area SAR teams. Mr. Finny remains missing at this time despite one of the largest and longest search operations in the Bay Area in recent history.

05-29
08-10-05 Yosemite Mutual Aid. Marin SAR responded six members for a missing backpacker in the Hetch Hetchy area of Yosemite National Park. As members were getting ready to deploy in the backcountry, the missing backpacker showed up in good health at a trail block. The team was then diverted to Tulare County for another search by State OES.

05-30
08-11-05 Tulare County Mutual Aid. Six Marin SAR members responded for a missing hiker with psychiatric problems in a remote wilderness area just outside Sequoia Kings National Park. The team hiked out six miles and staffed several trail blocks overnight. The subject was located the next day.

05-31
08-23-05 Marin City Suspicious Circumstance Search. Sheriff's Patrol units requested SAR to respond for a small child that was seen walking a hiking trail with no attending adult. Eleven members responded and spent three hours clearing the area. No child was reported missing and nothing was found.

05-32
08-27-05 San Rafael Evidence Search. Fifteen SAR members responded for an evidence search after a Homicide. Members logged four hours each.

05-33
09-7-05 Yosemite Mutual Aid. Marin SAR responded six members to assist NPS Rangers for a missing backpacker in the Benson Lake area of Yosemite National Park. Members were inserted by Helicopter on three different overnight assignments in remote areas of the park. The subject was able to walk out the next morning to a trail block team and was reported to have been lost for several days and also sustained a severe ankle injury.

05-34
09-18-05 San Rafael Evidence Search. Ten members responded for an evidence search after an attempted homicide. Members logged one hour each.

5-35
09-19-05 Search in the Town of Ross. Marin SAR responded 28 members for a missing elderly man who suffered from dementia who walked away from the family house. The missing subject was not familiar with the area. Numerous ground teams were deployed to canvass the neighborhood and search adjacent open space areas. Four hours into the search, a resident called 911 and reported a suspicious person in front of their house that tuned out to be the missing man. MMWD and Openspace Rangers, Ross Fire and Police, Kentfield fire, San Rafael PD and a Contra Costa SAR member along CARDA K-9 teams also responded resources to assist with the search. This was the first "TENS" automatic phone message system activation used in Marin for missing person search.

05-36
11-20-05 Emergency locator Transmitter (ELT) activation on Mt. Tamalpais. Marin SAR responded two direction finding teams and a Sheriff's Air Patrol plane to search for an ELT. Civil Air Patrol also responded an aircraft and several ground teams. The signal was found to be coming from the faulty radio transmitter site on Middle Peak on Mt. Tam.

05-37
12-12-05 San Francisco Mutual Aid. Thirty Marin SAR members along with Twenty CAL-ESAR members and seven CARDA cadaver K-9 teams deployed in Golden Gate Park to assist San Francisco Police in the search for Jerry Tang. Mr. Tang was last seen in the park 10 days prior and had a history or stroke and a seizure disorder. This was our first time working with SFPD. No clues were located during eight hours of searching.

05-38
12-31-05 Marin Storm activation. Twenty Marin SAR members responded to assist with flooding problems during a series of significant storms. Members assisted in the County EOC and assisted with Sandbagging in San Anselmo.