*** Jackson County, Oregon Searches ***

Date: Thu, 24 Oct 1996 20:23:59 -0700

To: sarinfo@mindlink.bc.ca
From: cordier@mind.net (cordier)
Subject: Reply to Night Grid Search


Hi Martin,

You might have heard or read that we have had two searches this past
week for missing hunters. We were lucky on one of them; our subject
walked out in a different water shed than was being searched. On the
other search (the one I worked on) we weren't so lucky. We had a
blizzard come in the first night of the search and dump 12 inches of
snow. The temperatures went sub-freezing. We searched all night with
no results. I went off duty at 12:30 the following day, Saturday, and
the search was continued by driving roads and grid searching. I resumed
command on Sunday morning after another night of sub-freezing
temperatures. We organized a grid search of 4 teams that were to search
the drainage we felt our subject was in. This drainage dropped into a
canyon with nearly vertical walls. No luck. We pulled the teams out of
the canyon about mid afternoon because the hazards were just to great
for the searchers. At this point after a conference with our SAR
Sheriff's Deputy and my overhead team we decided to suspend the main
search effort and continue with a smaller effort as the weather
permitted.

It was felt by all concerned that our subject couldn't have survived
the first night. He was totally unprepared for a night out in that kind
of environment. We also learned that he was having possible heart
problems and that further reinforced our belief that our subject was
dead. If we are lucky and the snow melts before winter really sets in
we will go back in and once again look for him.

We had another search last night, 10-23-96. Again this was a hunter.
We found him right away. This subject was legally blind but was able to
see during daylight hours. He did all the right things. He eventually
was able to get back to the road he went in on then just sat and waited
to be found. I wish everyone who gets lost would behave this way; just
sit and wait to be found.

	All for now.


	Vern Cordier,
	Jackson County, Oregon
	Sheriffs Search and Rescue


Vern Cordier :>)
cordier@mind.net

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