Ohio Special Response Team - OSRT - Search and Rescue

09/01/2026

Thurman Walker Located on Floodplain in Franklin County

The members of the Ohio Special Response Team who's search K-9s assisted in this missing persons incident, want to convey our sincere condolences to Thurman's family and the Groveport community at large.

We all need to become more aware of the environment surrounding individuals with dementia. These folks represent the majority of our search and rescue deployments state-wide. It's so easy for them to slip through our monitoring systems, so let's all become more watchful and cognizant of this issue and take action as a community of observers.

The body of Thurman Walker, a missing 75-year-old man with dementia, was found dead in a floodplain close to his Ohio home, authorities said.

08/23/2026

We only have 40 tickets left - see information below on how to purchase!

Not interested in winning the kennel but still want to purchase tickets? That’s fine! If your ticket is drawn and you wish not to have the kennel, we can draw another ticket!

🚨 Ruffland Kennel Raffle! 🚨

The Ohio Special Response Team - OSRT - Search and Rescue is excited to raffle off a Large Ruffland Kennel (2-Door Front/Back) in the brand-new Fire Engine Red color!

🎟️ Tickets: $20 each
🔥 Only 200 tickets will be sold!

All proceeds directly benefit OSRT Search & Rescue. Our team was recently gifted a Zodiac boat, but it is in need of a new motor. Fundraisers like this help us maintain and replace the specialized equipment and tools we rely on to respond to search and rescue missions.

Your support helps ensure our team is prepared when our community needs us most. Thank you for supporting OSRT and helping us continue our mission!

To purchase a ticket, please Venmo with your name, phone number, and email address in the description, and a copy of your ticket will be sent to you!

08/17/2026

Op Period 4 - Ohio Special Response Team Continues Deployments to Flooding Disaster in Perry County, Ohio

OSRT continues assisting the Ohio EMA and Perry County Agencies in response to crippling floods in and around Crooksville, Ohio.

On Saturday Kierra joined us to stare in dismay at the newly flooded supply depot in a local recreation center. Yep! Crooksville flooded again last night. All those donated items. Another four inches of water inside the center. Those water bottles on the porch? Still ended up with a foot of water at their base. The pallets of water in the parking lot? Washed away. Maybe somewhere in Pittsburgh?

Kierra dove right in, along with about twenty volunteers, to venture in to the recreation center. The water had drained from inside but anything that was on the floor was trashed. We couldn't see much because the power was out, but everyone pitched in and we tried to get the most critically needed items packed up for transport to a more elevated location – which we never identified. We wound up with a donated box truck into which we literally jammed items due to an immediate severe weather alert. Then the rains slammed us to a halt and, sadly, we had to leave the vast majority of items behind due to an evacuation order. Kierra was a major trooper!

Photos: Images of newly flooded rec center. Inside, in the dark with very wet floors and soaked items abound.

08/17/2026

Op Period 3 - Ohio Special Response Team Continues Deployments to Flooding Disaster in Perry County, Ohio.

OSRT continues to assist the Ohio EMA and Perry County Agencies in response to crippling floods in and around Crooksville, Ohio. On Saturday Tyler, John, and Bryan joined us to establish a recovery supply depot in a local recreation center.

Tyler and John got a serious taste of what a structure looks like after it's been submerged in grungy flood waters. Bryan worked to help organize the inventory of donated goods so residents can stop by and get the products they so desperately need to recover. We also loaded hundreds of water bottles and supplies into resident vehicles.

Detro Mobile Homes company dropped by with a load of cleaning supplies that the OSRT guys helped unload. Much thanks Detro!!

Last, but by no means least, we relocated all those water bottles (like around 8,000) from the parking lot at ground level up to the porch of the center to, hopefully, keep them out of any additional flooding. As we packed u-p to leave, a flatbed pulled up with an additional 6 pallets of water. They dropped them right in the area we recently cleared.

08/17/2026

Op Period 2 - Ohio Special Response Team Continues Deployments to Flooding Disaster in Perry County,

Members of OSRT continue to assist the Ohio EMA and Perry County Agencies Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) in response to crippling floods in and around Crooksville, Ohio. On Friday Casey and Scott joined us to establish a formal process for registering volunteers and vectoring them to locations the were in need of assistance.

Today OSRT members Casey and Scott joined us to assist people in need. Thanks, guys.

Photos: A bottled water mountain containing around 8,000 bottles await distribution to residents. OSRT helps coordinate this effort. Dale sits in during IC briefing - that's his knee over there in the kids section. :) The group from Yoder's Roofing came by with a trailer load of badly need cleaning and personal care supplies for residents.

08/17/2026

Op Period 1 - Ohio Special Response Team Deploys to Perry County Ohio Flooding Disaster

Members of OSRT Search, Rescue, and Disaster Response Team deployed to the flooding incident in Perry County Ohio in support of the Emergency Management Agency and local Agencies Having Jurisdiction.

Members Thompson and Plastow arrived on scene on Thursday, 13 August and assisted the AHJ representative in developing a volunteer cadre and other infrastructure elements of response.

Image: Al Plastow chips in to help the group from Hope for Crisis prepare meals for residents. The people were a wonderful group and we sincerely appreciate their presence.

08/14/2026

OSRT is currently deployed to Perry County in Flood Disaster Ops

OSRT search and rescue personnel are assisting Perry County Ohio with disaster response. We should be on site for at least four days, fulfilling whatever roles the county EMA and community AHJ officials need filled.

Please say prayers for these communities, and others, impacted by catastrophic storms this year.

08/11/2026

🚨 Ruffland Kennel Raffle! 🚨

The Ohio Special Response Team - OSRT - Search and Rescue is excited to raffle off a Large Ruffland Kennel (2-Door Front/Back) in the brand-new Fire Engine Red color!

🎟️ Tickets: $20 each
🔥 Only 200 tickets will be sold!

All proceeds directly benefit OSRT Search & Rescue. Our team was recently gifted a Zodiac boat, but it is in need of a new motor. Fundraisers like this help us maintain and replace the specialized equipment and tools we rely on to respond to search and rescue missions.

Your support helps ensure our team is prepared when our community needs us most. Thank you for supporting OSRT and helping us continue our mission!

To purchase a ticket, please Venmo with your name, phone number, and email address in the description, and a copy of your ticket will be sent to you!

08/06/2026

OSRT Kicks of its "Community Awareness Campaign" for 2026.

Search and rescue operators of the Ohio Special Response Team are now scheduling speaking engagements with community groups to build awareness of how the team can assist in missing persons incidents, disaster preparation, and topics related to human trafficking. For information submit a request via the Ohio Special Response Team website.

Shown here is Claire Reynolds and her search K-9 Charlie in front of a Bell UH-1 Helo after presentation to the Byesville VFW Post 3760. We had a great discussion of OSRT's capabilities and hope to expand a unit in the area.