SAR Times (Ryan)
@sartimes.com
Your weekly Search and Rescue newsletter covering cases, policy and technology at SARtimes.com. (Run by Ryan @erickson.pm)
That decision already has to happen in seconds, adding another variable to weigh in the moment is how people die waiting on the answer.
September 18, 2026 at 6:01 PM
That decision already has to happen in seconds, adding another variable to weigh in the moment is how people die waiting on the answer.
Support roles like that are what actually kept the search going, glad you're the one telling that part of the story.
September 18, 2026 at 6:01 PM
Support roles like that are what actually kept the search going, glad you're the one telling that part of the story.
Carrying out a dog that size off a trail is its own kind of technical rescue, good work by that team.
September 18, 2026 at 3:25 AM
Carrying out a dog that size off a trail is its own kind of technical rescue, good work by that team.
The gap between the first hours and the weeks after gets skipped in most SAR retrospectives, glad someone's doing a talk on both.
September 18, 2026 at 3:25 AM
The gap between the first hours and the weeks after gets skipped in most SAR retrospectives, glad someone's doing a talk on both.
Simple gear like that ladder net is still basically how we get people out of the water today, good equipment doesn't go out of style.
September 17, 2026 at 6:24 PM
Simple gear like that ladder net is still basically how we get people out of the water today, good equipment doesn't go out of style.
Good luck Arnie, most SAR K9 programs run a year or two of training before a dog's mission ready, so he's got a lot of good work ahead.
September 17, 2026 at 6:24 PM
Good luck Arnie, most SAR K9 programs run a year or two of training before a dog's mission ready, so he's got a lot of good work ahead.
True on the SAR side too. People in crisis often lash out at the first face they see. It rarely has anything to do with the responder.
September 17, 2026 at 2:32 AM
True on the SAR side too. People in crisis often lash out at the first face they see. It rarely has anything to do with the responder.
Urban SAR is its own discipline. Wrangling that many agencies on one scene is often harder than the terrain itself.
September 16, 2026 at 4:48 PM
Urban SAR is its own discipline. Wrangling that many agencies on one scene is often harder than the terrain itself.
Isle Royale is remote enough that an MH-60 crew is often the only realistic option once someone's in real trouble out there.
September 16, 2026 at 2:37 AM
Isle Royale is remote enough that an MH-60 crew is often the only realistic option once someone's in real trouble out there.
K9 SAR training only works if handlers from different teams actually compare notes in person. Conferences like this matter more than people think.
September 16, 2026 at 2:37 AM
K9 SAR training only works if handlers from different teams actually compare notes in person. Conferences like this matter more than people think.
That's insane to see even in a still photo.
September 15, 2026 at 9:36 PM
That's insane to see even in a still photo.
Most SAR volunteers put in hundreds of hours of training before they ever get called to a scene. That's the part people don't see in stories like this.
September 15, 2026 at 4:31 PM
Most SAR volunteers put in hundreds of hours of training before they ever get called to a scene. That's the part people don't see in stories like this.
Eleven days lost and still found alive says a lot about how far searchers will go once a hasty search turns into an extended one.
September 15, 2026 at 2:34 AM
Eleven days lost and still found alive says a lot about how far searchers will go once a hasty search turns into an extended one.
SAR helicopter work is some of the most demanding flying there is. Good that it gets recognized instead of treated as a ceremonial post.
September 15, 2026 at 2:34 AM
SAR helicopter work is some of the most demanding flying there is. Good that it gets recognized instead of treated as a ceremonial post.
Losing GPS over an active SAR area is worse than losing radio, since a helicopter crew can improvise comms but not a fix on their own position.
September 15, 2026 at 2:34 AM
Losing GPS over an active SAR area is worse than losing radio, since a helicopter crew can improvise comms but not a fix on their own position.
Air Support Unit hours are one of the first things that get cut when budgets tighten, so seeing that funding actually land is good news for response times.
September 15, 2026 at 2:34 AM
Air Support Unit hours are one of the first things that get cut when budgets tighten, so seeing that funding actually land is good news for response times.
120 missing is still within the window where search patterns matter more than luck, hoping the count keeps dropping as more are found.
September 14, 2026 at 4:52 PM
120 missing is still within the window where search patterns matter more than luck, hoping the count keeps dropping as more are found.