One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
Volunteer Search-And-Rescue Workers Undergo Extensive Training
Mt. Baldy, Angeles National Forest.
(
Al Herrmann/Flickr Creative Commons
)
Listen
0:42
Volunteer Search-And-Rescue Workers Undergo Extensive Training
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department suspended the search for a hiker who went missing near Mt. Baldy on Dec. 8 after rescue volunteer Timothy Staples died Saturday.
More than 100 people were involved in the search for Sreenivas "Sree" Mokkapati.
“No one ever really feels good about it, suspending a search,” volunteer Jeff Lehman said. He added the length of time a person is missing, bad weather or a lack of new information can all contribute to scaling back a search.
Lehman has been a San Bernardino County search-and0rescue volunteer for more than two decades, although he sometimes prefers the term "unpaid professional."
“People often think it’s just a bunch of people that are just wandering around in the wilderness calling people’s names,” Lehman said. “They don’t understand the technical nature of search and rescue.”
County sheriff’s offices coordinate search-and-rescue groups. Volunteers complete a 60-hour basic search and rescue course and participate in monthly trainings.
Several local search and rescue groups, including West Valley Search and Rescue where Staples volunteered, are accredited through a national organization, the Mountain Rescue Association.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
