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About TSAR

TSAR is an all-volunteer organization with high standards of professionalism and service who operate year round in all of the off-road areas surrounding Taos, New Mexico, throughout the state of New Mexico and occasionally into Southern Colorado. Our team searches for lost hikers, climbers, hunters, children, etc. in the spring, summer and fall, and lost skiers and snowmobilers, etc. in the winter. We rescue persons injured in backcountry settings, which include the mountains, the high desert, and the Rio Grande Gorge. We are also called in for urban, off-road searches. Our deployment is through the New Mexico State Police.

TSAR is on call 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. We provide training for all areas of expertise required on a mission. This includes: litter packaging, medical scenarios, low and medium angle rescue, avalanche training, search for downed aircraft, navigation with map and compass, use of GPS units, and communications. We are always looking for volunteers. We have ground teams (hiking, snowshoeing, skiing), a K-9 Unit, a Mounted Unit, a High Angle Unit, a Bike Unit, and base camp personnel. If you are looking for a way to serve your community, consider joining Taos Search and Rescue.

 

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TSAR NEWS!

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MISSIONS - SECOND Quarter, 2009:

(note: Select the Missions button at top of this page to see a history of all missions.)

 

Date: 6/16/09
Mission #: 09.07.06
Location: Red River (Town)
Situation: An inebrieted man left a bar in Red River late at night and disappeared in the direction of the river.
Detail: Law enforcement, family members, family friends, and SAR teams searched the banks of the Red River from the town on down stream. No sign of the man and no clues were found. Ground teams and canine teams were used in the search
Outcome: As of a week later the man had not been located.

Date: 5/11/09
Mission #: 09.07.03
Location: Taos Canyon
Situation: A young woman left a party at a campground in the middle of the night.
Detail: She failed to return and 911 was called in the morning. Taos Search and Rescue responded with 6 members but was notified, before leaving our base at the State Police, that she had been located.
Outcome: It turns out that she had been inebriated and had fallen asleep in the woods nearby. She was none the worse for wear.

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November 2008 Training: Mock Search: Line Search and Bouldering Techniques

As usual, I found March’s training to be both informative and fun. The training consisted of two parts. The first was talking about line search techniques and doing a mock search. We were given GPS co-ordinates of a search boundary which we then marked on a quad map. Then, we established a line and searched the area looking for clues. As is typical, the mock search training is run like a real search. When clues are found, they are called in to base and given a degree of reliability as relates to the circumstances of the search. In the line search we practiced using a GPS, using UTM co-ordinates on a map, actually finding the search quadrant and searching, looking for clues and using the radio. We also learned that it was very difficult to do a line search with 15 people so on the return search, we did a different technique and it worked much better. We did miss several clues even though we searched the area twice.

 

The second part of the training involved one of our team members hiding in a large boulder field. We split into teams of 3 or 4 and started our search. The boulder field was very steep, had huge boulders and was very rugged. Climbing ropes came to mind! There were also many large caves created by the large rocks which made it even more difficult to search. After making a “thorough” search of the area, several clues were found and their locations called in to base and noted on a GPS. However, the subject was not found. Several teams went back out and searched around the area of the clues and still nothing! We had completely missed our subject! Apparently, several of our trainees went right over the subject.

I feel that it was a great training. The location on the edge of the gorge was beautiful and we had a good team turnout (16). We all learned a lot and had fun doing it!

Donna LeFurgey

New Team Member

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Other News: TSAR Holiday Party

Tis the season and even us wilderness types like to dress up a little for a holiday party... or not (there were some cargo pants in the crowd). Search and rescue being the serious business that it is we have little chance to socialize. Most of our get togethers revolve around training or, of course, missions where the food is not that great.

 

The TSAR gang gathered early in January, 2009 for their annual end-of-year holiday party. This year we had a potluck, hosted by Del Endes at her home off Blueberry Hill road. Del's house is spacious and comfortable and the atmosphere was more relaxed and homey than it has been in years past when we gathered at a local restaurant. Most of the team was there with their spouse/significant other. It turns out, unbeknownst to all of us, that we have some amazing cooks on the team. All the food (no exaggeration) varied from quite good to excellent. It had been 10 years since the team held a potluck and we all agreed (no exceptions - an unusual state of affairs!) that we would celebrate at the end of 2009 with another potluck. Now we are fortified for another year of getting up at midnight to go look for the lost or injured.

 

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