VCSAR 3 Statistics 2005

Summary of selected operations

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12/23/05, Friday, 13:45 Hours – 12/26/05, Monday, 17:00 Hours
Recovery Search
Ventura Harbor Area
The East Valley team along with Ojai, Fillmore, and Dive teams responded to a missing boater who was washed out to sea. The team used ATVs to search the high tide line and the surf for 18-year-old William Schneider. The subject has not yet been located. View photos of the search in the gallery (under Assorted Photos). See the News Article for more information. UPDATE 1/5/2006: The subject's body washed up near Oxnard in December 2006.

12/10/05, Saturday, 04:00 Hours – 22:00 Hours
Recovery Search
Kern River
The East Valley team was requested to assist Kern County Search and Rescue in searching the Kern River downstream from the dam for five missing subjects who may have went into the river over the Summer. Over 70 searchers were part of the operation. The river was at its lowest before the Winter rains and the flow from the dam was shut off allowing better access to the river. The East Valley team was assigned a three-mile stretch of the river and searched most of their assignment before dark. No evidence of the missing subjects were found.

10/29/05, Saturday, 03:00 Hours – 04:30 Hours
Lost Hikers
Thousand Oaks
Five teenagers decided to go for a short hike around seven in the evening in the hills south of Thousand Oaks. They lost the trail in the dark and were unable to find their way back. Some time after midnight one of the teens used their cell phone. The East Valley team was dispatched to locate the missing teens. While driving to a different trailhead, the teens were spotted walking down the street trying to find their way back to their car.

10/09/05, Sunday, 18:50 Hours – 10/10/05, Monday, 00:30 Hours
Overdue Hunter
Mt. Pinos, Los Padres National Forest
The East Valley team along with the Fillmore team responded to an overdue hunter. The hunter was spotted by the Ventura County Sheriff helicopter in a canyon. The helicopter was unable to access the subject so a ground team hiked in and walked the subject out.

10/08/05, Saturday, 17:20-21:00 Hours
Motorcycle Over the Side
Chorro Grande, Los Padres National Forest
The East Valley team was completing a day of training at Sespe Wall along Highway 33 north of Ojai when a passerby advised that a motorcycle had gone over the side of the highway five miles north. The team responded to the location and upon arrival found a rider down with his friends performing CPR. The team took over and continued CPR for 30 minutes until Ventura County Sheriff Copter 9 arrived on scene and pronounced the patient. The team closed the highway and secured the scene until the CHP and Medical Examiner arrived and released the team.

09/28/05, Wednesday, 16:20 Hours – 09/30/05, Friday-16:00 Hours
Brush Fire Incident
East Ventura County
The East Valley team was requested to assist with during the Topanga Fire from Santa Susana Pass area to Thousand Oaks. The team evacuated over 60 horses from the Bell Canyon area and assisted in evacuation notifications. The team also provided escorts into the evacuation area and surveys.

07/26/05, Tuesday, 17:20-22:00 Hours
Welfare Check
Thousand Oaks
The East Valley team was requested to search a park and along a creek for a missing homeless person. The missing subject was located later in the evening at his mother's house.

06/04/05, Saturday, 04:30 Hours – 06/05/05, Sunday, 17:00 Hours
Missing Hiker
Mt. Pinos, Los Padres National Forest
The East Valley team along with Fillmore, Upper Ojai, and canine teams were called out to assist Kern County SAR to search for a missing 59-year-old hiker. The subject was last heard from on May 25, 2005. His vehicle was found at the Mt. Pinos trailhead on June 3, 2005, and a search of the area was initiated. On Sunday, June 5, 2005, teams from Santa Barbara, Sierra Madre, and San Bernardino assisted with the search. A field team located the body of the subject approximately a mile and a half north of the Mt. Pinos parking lot down a steep canyon. A Ventura County Sheriff helicopter short-hauled the body out of the canyon.

05/21/05, Saturday, 06:00-08:00 Hours
Evidence Search
The team was requested to search for evidence for the Ventura County Sheriff detectives.

05/13/05, Friday, 18:00-21:00 Hours
Child Abduction
Saticoy
The East Valley team along with the Fillmore and Upper Ojai teams were called out to assist in searching for two young girls, ages 5 and 7, abducted near their home. The team members searched the local neighborhood. The girls were found safe in Ventura.

05/12/05, Thursday, 18:30-20:00 Hours
Missing Person
Camarillo
The team was requested to assist looking for an elderly person missing from an rest home. The team searched the adjoining hillsides and nearby residential areas. The subject was found several miles in good condition.

04/29/05, Friday, 16:00 Hours – 05/01/05, Sunday, 13:00 Hours
Missing Person
Summit Camp Area, Sierra National Forest
The team responded to a mutual aid request by Mariposa County for a missing 84-year-old man who walked away from his disabled vehicle at Summit Camp in the Sierra National Forest on April 22. Ten members from the East Valley team and five members from the Fillmore team were sent to help out on the last major search effort. After searching on Saturday, April 30, with over 60 searchers from throughout the state the missing person was not found. The decision was made to suspend the search operation.

04/08/05, Friday, 00:01-03:00 Hours
Overdue Mountain Bikers
East Simi Valley
The team was called out to search for two overdue mountain bikers who had gone out for their twice weekly bike ride and had not returned. Team members set out on motorcycles, ATV's, and 4x4 trucks to search the local trails. The subjects were found working their way down the trails in the dark in good condition.

04/03/05, Sunday, 22:30 Hours – 04/04/05, Monday, 11:00 Hours
Overdue Hiker
Rocky Peak
A 33-year-old man left the Rocky Peak trailhead for a three-hour hike dressed only in shorts and T-shirt.. After not arriving at his destination the team was activated to search for the missing subject. The team search the fire roads and trails in the area. Around 11:00 Monday morning the subject's parents received a call from the subject. The subject had continued up the trail for an additional 20 miles and ended up in the Santa Clarita area.

02/21/05, Monday, 19:10-22:00 Hours
Overdue Hiker
Sycamore Canyon, Mugu State Park
The team was called out to search for a overdue hiker in Sycamore Canyon. The hiker was slowed due to the many flooded creek crossings and was found near his destination by the sheriff helicopter.

01/07/05, Friday, 19:00 Hours – 01/13/05, Thursday, 14:00 Hours
Water Rescue Standby / Swiftwater Rescues / Flood Evacuations / La Conchita Mudslide
Ventura County
The team was placed on water rescue standby starting on Friday, 1/07/05, due to expected heavy rains with team members on patrol. The team responded to several incidents during the next seven days. View photos of the rescues in the gallery.