Why We Do What We Do
The catch-phrase for search and rescue groups nationwide is, “…these things we do that others may live.” We nicked it from the USAF Pararescue Parajumpers, but it does a good job of summing up why we spend so much time training, participating on missions, and away from our families, friends, and the pastimes most normal people engage in when they’re not at their day jobs.
We’re not actually much different from anybody else. We get tired of doing what we do sometimes. We grouse and complain. When the pager goes off at two in the morning on a night where the temperature is forty degrees and the rain has been falling steadily all night, the first word out of my mouth is often one my mother would rather I didn’t use. Sometimes SAR is fun and rewarding. Sometimes it’s dirty, wet, cold, and fruitless.
So what keeps us going through those times? Every so often we have a search that makes us say, “Oh yeah, that’s why I do this.” A couple of weekends ago a friend of mine had one of those searches.
In a case that got both regional and national attention, a young climber went missing on Mt. Adams October 12th in southern Washington. After four days, hope was beginning to wane, and search management was looking at calling the search off in a couple of days. They put out a request for resources from other counties to come and help, and King County Search Dogs was called in. Greg Varney, a structural engineer in Seattle, canine handler and search manager with KCSD rearranged his schedule to take the next day off of work and headed south. Long story short, after about eight hours of searching and after following physical clues he had seen, Greg called out the subject’s name, and was startled to hear a response.
It’s not my place to tell the story of the young man who went missing, but his ordeal was nothing short of heroic. He survived nearly five days alone on the mountain, and managed to drag himself for miles with a broken leg. Still, there is no doubt that Greg’s was a lifesaving find. When he was interviewed on the evening news, though, he deferred most of the attention to the young man and his remarkable journey. That’s typical Greg. It’s not about the attention; it’s about getting the job done.
If you’re interested in reading more about the search, go to SeattleTimes.com.
--Jon Wieringa
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Jon Wieringa is an ICU veterinary technician, a search and rescue K-9 handler, and a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.
MaryBeth on December 05, 2008 at 02:39 AM
That's a wonderful story. It's really impressive what you do. I live in Olympia, Washington and remember hearing about this on both our local and the national news.
Thanks again for all the time you spend to help other people. You're a great writer, too. Have you ever thought about publishing a book about your stories?