PLSAR Team Missions
| Missions Completed: 41 | Persons Assisted: 61 | Bodies Recovered: 8 |
Since becoming operational in September of 2001, the team has been directly involved in assisting numerous lost and/or injured persons, and with the recovery of several deceased subjects. Most have been in the Priest Lake area; however, the team has also assisted other SAR Districts at the request of BCSO. All operations and training are conducted under the authority and protection of the Bonner County Sheriff.
21 MAR 08 - The Snowmobile Unit responded to and assisted five overdue snowmobile riders out of fuel near Lime Creek.
28 JAN 08 - The Snowmobile Unit assisted in locating and returning two lost snowboarders that had gone out of bounds on Sand Creek at Schweitzer Ski Resort.
20 JAN 08 - The Snowmobile Unit located and returned two riders that had been stuck in deep powder on Camels Prairie.
13 JAN 08 - The Snowmobile Unit located and returned two overdue riders that had mechanical breakdown on Beaver Creek
7 JUL 07 - The Rope Rescue Unit assisted PLEMTs and BCEMS with the extraction rescue of a hypothermic patient that had fallen out of a canoe near Binarch Creek, and had to be hoisted up two steep slopes in a litter to the ambulance.
17 FEB 07 - The Snowmobile Unit located and assisted an injured snowmobile rider lost in fog above Echo Bowl.
6 FEB 07 - Snowmobile and Ground Units searched a wooded area near Coolin for a missing person. (Subject later found deceased.)
3-4 FEB 07 - The Snowmobile Unit assisted an injured snowmobile rider (RON) at Kent Lake and completed his extraction by snowmobile the following day.
26 NOV 06 - Ground Search Unit located a missing hunter in Blanchard, Idaho and recovered the body.
20-21-22 OCT 06 - Ground Search Unit deployed to assist Pend Oreille Sheriff's Office with a search for a missing hunter near Monumental Mountain, WA. Subject was found dead.
30 JUN 06 - The Dive Unit responded to assist Pend Oreille Sheriff's Office with a night time, river recovery operation. Subject found deceased two weeks later.
11 FEB 06 - The Snowmobile Unit responded to Phoebe Tip to assist with a injured snowmobile rider. Subject was evacuated by helicopter.
29 JAN 06 - The Snowmobile Unit recovered four crew members from a helicopter that had made a preventive landing (mechanical) in Jack Pine Flats during a training operation.
30 SEP 05 - The Tech-Rescue Unit was dispatched to Hope, Idaho, where they lowered an injured hunter by ropes, more than 1000' down a steep slope, before he was extracted by a USAF Helicopter hovering overhead.
3/4 AUG 05 - The Ground Search Unit conducted a search and rescue in conjunction with USFS and Boundary SAR below American Falls to locate a missing trail clearing worker. She was located and returned to her group.
22/23 FEB 05 - The Ground Search Unit conducted an 11-hour nighttime search and rescue of two missing snowmobile riders in the Selkirk Mountains.
30 NOV 04 - The Dive Unit assisted BCSO in a search of Lake Pend Oreille for a missing subject. Subject later found near Dover.
17 OCT 04 - The ATV Unit conducted night and day search and rescue of an overdue/missing hunter in the Pee Wee Trail System. Hunter was found and transported to his vehicle.
31 JUL 04 - The Ground Search Unit searched Eight Mile Island for missing sail boater. Boat found run aground with no one on board. Flew surrounding area on 1 AUG 04, UTL subject. Later used cadaver dogs to locate a body 321' under water, but it was not the subject of this search. OPEN
24 JUN 04 - Assisted Priest Lake Ambulance/EMTs by conducting a nighttime extrication of a seriously injured fall victim off the Granite Slide Cliffs above Lion Creek.
15 MAY 04 - Assisted Priest Lake Ambulance/EMTs with the search and rescue of four kayakers on Priest River below Outlet Dam.
7 MAR 04 - The Snowmobile Unit conducted a nighttime search and rescue of a lost snowboarder from Schweitzer Mountain.
14 FEB 04 - The Snowmobile Unit assisted Priest Lake Ambulance with the nighttime recovery and transport of two injured snowmobile riders in the Two Mouth drainage.
28 DEC 2003 - The Snowmobile Unit assisted in the nighttime search and rescue of two missing snowboarders from Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort.
28 NOV 2003 - The Snowmobile Unit conducted a nighttime search and transport of nine overdue/stranded hunters via snowmobile from the Trapper Creek area.
20 NOV 2003 - The Ground Search Unit conducted a nighttime recovery of the deceased pilot from a logging helicopter crash on a mountain near Bear Creek.
8 OCT 2003 - Dispatched to assist a man stuck on the cliffs at Lion Head after dark. Subject walked out as team arrived.
26 JULY - 4 AUG 2003 - Provided more than 2,500 hours of security for the Hunt Creek Fire at three roadblocks, ICP, Base Camp, and Heli-base. The Team demonstrated its ability to operate 24 hours a day for extended (10 days) periods.
03 JUNE 2003 - The Ground Search Unit conducted a search and recovery of a tractor driver who drowned while attempting to cross Granite Creek.
30 MAY 2003 - The Ground Search Unit conducted a search and rescue of a 2-year-old girl who had wandered off from her home near Pinto Point. She was found approximately ½ mile from her home, climbing a hill.
2 MAR 2003 - The Snowmobile Unit conducted a nighttime Search and Rescue of a stranded motorist on USFS Road 1019 near the Washington border.
22 FEB 2003 - The Snowmobile Unit assisted with rescue of three and recovery of one deceased snowmobile riders caught in an avalanche near Echo Bowl. Also, assisted with a separate snowmobile back injury accident at nearly the same time.
14 FEB 2003 - The Snowmobile Unit conducted nighttime search and rescue of two subjects who were stranded in a pickup on a snowmobile trail near mile 29.5 Route 1, north of Upper Priest Lake.
17 JULY 2002 - The Snowmobile Unit conducted search and rescue of three bicyclists who became lost, overheated and out of water near Gleason Meadow (West of Hwy 57).
7 APR 2002 - The Snowmobile Unit conducted nighttime search and rescue of two snowmobile riders near Indian Creek.
7 FEB 2002 - The Snowmobile Unit assisted Priest Lake Ambulance with recovery of injured snowmobile rider near Echo Bowl.
1 JAN 2002 - The Snowmobile Unit conducted nighttime search and rescue of three missing snowmobile riders near Lost Peak.
6-7 NOV 2001 - The Ground Search Unit assisted Bonner County Sheriff with nighttime search and recovery of deceased subject south of Priest River near Vay.
23 OCT 2001 - Dispatched to Clark Fork to assist Bonner County Sheriff with search for two missing hunters. Hunters walked out on their own prior to being located by SAR.27 OCT 2001 - Assisted Priest Lake Ambulance with nighttime search and rescue of a severely injured hiker at Lion Head.
15 SEP 2001 - Assisted Priest Lake Ambulance with the rescue of two injured hikers on Binarch Creek.