Linn County Search and Rescue

07/19/2023

Effective July 24th, 2023, our team will no longer be creating content for this account and will be relocating all social media to the main Linn County Sheriff’s Office pages.

We hope everyone has enjoyed this small glimpse into who we are and what we do, because we’re not even close to done! More will be coming, so make sure to follow the Linn County Sheriff's Office and keep posted on what we’ve been up to. We’re looking forward to continuing to spread the hard work of our team, our rescue partners, and the whole Sheriff’s Office to an even larger audience.

Until next week, this account will remain active and we’ll continue answering any of your questions regarding Linn County Search and Rescue.

See you all soon!

07/12/2023

Rescue at Blue Pool - 07/02/2023

On Sunday, July 2nd, at approximately 1300, Linn County Search and Rescue was alerted to a subject that had become injured after jumping into Tamolitch Falls (commonly known as Blue Pool).

Linn SAR responded immediately, having just concluded our 2023 Training Academy only half an hour prior to the alert. An initial hasty team was followed by a larger rescue team, and Linn SAR was also joined by teams from Lane County Sheriff's Search and Rescue, Eugene Mountain Rescue, Sweet Home Fire District, and Upper Mckenzie Rural Fire Protection District.

While the Forest Service temporarily closed down the area, members from all teams worked together to safely transport the patient out of the basin and to a more open area for an airlift. After the subject had been moved and the landing zone sufficiently cleared, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter out of North Bend arrived and hoisted the patient from the scene, along with a paramedic from Lane SAR.

We wish a speedy recovery to the patient, and as usual we’d like to give a huge thank you to all the agencies that assisted with this rescue. Their expertise and continuing partnership ensures we keep providing the best possible service to our community.

06/07/2023

You may have seen us over the Memorial Day weekend out at several high traffic locations in the Willamete National Forest, passing out information and patrolling the trails nearby. Alongside the Linn County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Linn SAR staged out at Clear Lake Resort, Sahalie Falls, and Tamolitch Falls (better known as Blue Pool) to conduct a PSAR and wildfire prevention operation

Preventative Search and Rescue (PSAR) was first coined at the Grand Canyon in 1997 with the goal of reducing the number of accidents and SAR missions to take resources off of responders who were struggling to keep up with the volume of calls for assistance. Specialized teams and education programs worked to reduce the workload and have been met with massive success to this day.

We're not as busy at the Grand Canyon, but we did get to see over 700 visitors in a day at just one of the sites we staked out! Our team was able to pass out information on wildfires and the local area, treat some minor first aid, and patrolled the trails in case any help was needed. Fortunately, we didn’t have any major incidents all weekend long.

With warm weather predicted for the next few weeks and more trails opening up, we expect a lot more people outdoors and a busy season. If there's one thing you'll take away from this post, please let it be that a little prevention is always better than trying to solve a problem later.

Have a plan, have fun, and be safe!

05/23/2023

Rescue Assist On Highway 20 (Milepost 50) - 05/21/2023

On Sunday, May 21st at approximately 6:30PM, Linn County Search and Rescue was contacted to assist Sweet Home Fire District with an individual that had fallen down a steep embankment off of Highway 20, near milepost 50. The subject had fallen approximately 200 feet and sustained injuries that prevented them from self-extricating.

Alongside Lane County SAR and Sweet Home Fire, and with traffic assistance from the Oregon State Police, teams worked together to safely descend the embankment and perform a technical rope rescue of the patient. Upon successful extraction, the subject was evaluated by medics.

We would like to thank everyone that was involved in this rescue, we’re proud to serve the community alongside such great partners and fellow agencies.

05/11/2023

05/08/2023

Tonight is our final Recruitment Meeting of the year, and the last chance to apply for the 2023 Linn County Search and Rescue Academy!

We're just a few hours away from meeting the last applicants of the year for our team and we're hoping you'll be one of them. If you have a strong desire for community service and being part of a professional lifesaving team, come learn more about our program tonight.

We’ll get rolling at 7PM sharp at the Linn County Sheriff's Office (1115 SE Jackson St, Albany). The only thing you'll need to bring is yourself and any questions you have.
Need a little bit more information or want to submit an application before the meeting? Visit our webpage or ask questions in the comments below.

https://www.linnsheriff.org/volunteer.../search-and-rescue/

05/03/2023

On Saturday, April 22, Linn County Search and Rescue was invited to participate in a mass casualty exercise organized by Lane County Search and Rescue.

The training incident had 50 patients scattered over the roadway and down a steep embankment. The exercise tested a variety of skill sets ranging from incident management, communication, medical triage, and technical rope rescue. In addition to great experience for our team, this was an excellent opportunity for multiple agencies to train and work through a complex incident together.

We'd like to thank Lane County Search and Rescue, Lowell Rural Fire Protection District, Dexter Rural Fire Protection District, and all the volunteers who brought this event together. It is training opportunities like this that help keep our team the best at what we do while providing services to the communities of Linn County.

04/18/2023

Search Assist in Lane County - 04/12/2023

On Wednesday, April 12th, Linn County Search and Rescue responded to a search assistance request from Lane County Search and Rescue for a missing 40-year-old female, Mekenna Reiley. Reiley was reported missing on April 6th and was last seen in the area of River Street and McKenzie Highway in Blue River on April 5th. Despite her personal belongings, vehicle, and dog all being found at her residence, Reiley was not located nearby.

A Linn SAR team set-out at 7:00AM and searched multiple assignments in the Blue River area alongside Lane County teams, but were unfortunately unable to locate Reiley by the end of the day. Additional resources from Linn County SAR continued to assist in the on-going search effort during the days after.

If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Mekenna Reiley, please contact the Lane County Sheriff's Office at 541-682-4150 (Reference Case: #23-1855).

04/17/2023

We stand with our fellow first responders throughout Oregon as we send our condolences to family, friends, and colleagues of Nyssa PD Reserve Officer Joseph Johnson.

Officer Johnson, 43, was a member of the Oregon Department of Corrections and volunteered his time serving the community of Nyssa. Officer Johnson gave his life on April 15th after responding to a disturbance and pursuing a violent individual.

Rest in Peace, Officer Johnson. You will not be forgotten.

04/05/2023

Always happy to help, we’re glad everyone got back safe and sound. Thanks for having us out there, Marion County Sheriff's Office.

Sunday evening, April 2nd, 2023, the Sheriff's Office received a call of two snowmobilers who had not returned from their ride in the Breitenbush area. Marion County Search and Rescue along with volunteers from the Linn County Sheriff's Office snowmobile team responded and located the two people in several feet of snow. Fortunately both people were not injured and were reunited with their families.

We would like to thank our partners at 911 dispatch (Willamette Valley Communications Center) as well as Linn County Sheriff's Office in this search and rescue effort. We couldn't have done this without you all.

We wanted to take a few moments and share some safety tips as you gear up for snowmobiling because it is always important to put safety first:

Take a snowmobile safety course
Follow the service schedule
Have a helmet. Find one that meets the U.S. Department of Transportations standards and fits you properly.
Dress the part.
Watch the weather
Take your smartphone
Stick to the speed limit
Keep your lights on
Scout your route
Avoid riding on frozen lakes and rivers
Don't drink and ride
Watch your speed
Ride with others
Alert others as to where you are going
Insure your snowmobile
ALWAYS HAVE FUN!!!!! :)

03/31/2023

Search and Rescue, what we do is in the name. However, sometimes lost and missing people aren’t the only things we’re looking for.

For example, earlier this week, detectives from the Linn County Sheriff’s Office led our team through a refresher class on crime scene awareness and evidence handling. While it’s not as frequent as rescues and missing persons missions, our team is still often called out to conduct detailed evidence searches for both our own Sheriff’s Office and to assist other agencies.

For this last training in particular, our team focused on the basics of crime scene management and evidence search techniques. Each of our members is introduced to the topic during their initial training academy, and receives follow-up classes such as this one throughout the year to make sure their skills stay sharp.

We aren't detectives ourselves, but we are happy to provide our searching expertise at rural, wilderness, and other large crime scenes, especially those with lots of small evidence. Our team will cover entire areas on hands and knees looking for weapons, bullet fragments, and anything else we can scrounge up to help with the investigation.

Rescues are our bread and butter, but recoveries, public events, and evidence searches are all important parts of how we serve our community as well.

Want to learn more about what we do? Ask below, visit our webpage, or come join us for our next Recruit Meeting on April 10th!

https://www.linnsheriff.org/volunteer-programs/search-and-rescue/

03/30/2023

No, this is sadly not an early April Fools. Despite our earlier hopes and dreams of nice Spring weather (we got a couple days!), we’ve got another winter warning headed our way.

The National Weather service has issued a storm watch from 5:00PM Friday, March 31st, to 5:00PM Sunday, April 2nd. There’s a good possibility of 19-43 inches of snow above 3000 feet, and wind gusts up to 40mph. If you’re headed up through the mountains make sure to plan accordingly!

Down in the valley, it’s just looking like more rain for us, but that can change quickly. Please prepare for potentially slippery roads and give yourself extra time to get to your destination. Slow down and give yourself plenty of space between you and the other drivers.

Stay dry, stay safe, and keep holding out for warmer weather!