Dorrington, CA…On September 29th, 2020, at about 3:30 PM, a person contacted the Calaveras County 911 Dispatch Center to request assistance. The person (44-year-old male) stated they had become lost while fishing upriver of the Sourgrass recreational area. The missing person gave his general location to dispatchers by using the GPS feature on his cellular telephone. Unfortunately, the cellular device did not allow for further communication during the search effort due to a dead battery. The Calaveras County Volunteer Search and Rescue Team, Calaveras County Deputies, and a California Highway Patrol Helicopter were dispatched to the area to search for the lost person. Due to the fact that the incident was in Tuolumne County, the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office was contacted while the emergency response was started. The most efficient route for access to the area was determined to be by way of Calaveras County.

Due to the fading daylight and limited visibility due to smoke, the CHP helicopter had to depart from the search before sunset.

A command post was established to coordinate the search efforts and to provide support for the searchers. At about 8:00 PM the missing person was located by ground searchers in a remote and heavily wooded area near his last known location. The missing person was assisted back to the closest roadway and then transported in an off-highway vehicle to the command post where he was evaluated by emergency medical staff.

After being evaluated for any immediate medical needs, the person was provided with food and water before being driven back to his vehicle. This concluded the search and rescue event.

As a Sheriff’s Department’s volunteer arm, the Search and Rescue Team is the primary agency responsible for searching for people who have become lost or injured in off-road and rural areas of Calaveras County. The team is trained for many disciplines ranging from providing medical aid to high angle rescue, and they respond in every type of weather and the most challenging terrain environments. The Search and Rescue team is part of the California Mutual Aid System and assists other California counties when officially requested.

The Calaveras County Volunteer Search and Rescue Team continually accepts applications to the team. Persons of all skill levels should contact Sgt. Stark 209-754-6500 or visit calaverassar.org for more information. All training is provided.