Central Washington Mountain Rescue

05/21/2026

Congratulations to the new SAR graduates!

Some of these new members have joined us in Central Washington Mountain Rescue.

So that others may live.

Look who graduated from our SAR Academy!

The search-and-rescue academy covers the basics of staying safe outdoors, including map and compass navigation, backcountry first aid, patient packaging, search theory, and lost-person behavior. We review the 13 essentials, conduct a few field-day training sessions to practice map and compass skills, and run several mock missions, including one with an emphasis on radio use. The finale was a mock mission on Forest Service Rd 1500 near Soup Creek.

The time commitment for the academy is about 2 months of Mondays (mid-Jan to mid-March) and 2 or 3 Saturday field days. They also have online modules/videos to complete (about 13), along with FEMA, helicopter, and psychological first aid classes.

Congratulations to the graduates, and thank you for your willingness to help others in our county.

05/19/2026

We continue to prepare for the busy summer season.

First and foremost, we ask that people playing in the mountains and at the climbing crags:
1. Check weather
2. Plan ahead for potential challenges
3. Let someone know your departure time, where you are going and what your expected return time will be and the plan for contacting authorities if you are not back at the time you should be. (make sure they know the make and model of your car, the license plate number and where you will be parking. Leave a copy of your travel plan inside your car)
4. Always carry the 10 Essentials (google to find a list if you do not have one) Have fully charged batteries on your phone. Remember, cell phones may not have reception. Newer phones may have SOS Satellite tracking (check to confirm this before you leave) If you have some type of Personal Locator Beacon, take it with you.

A few pictures from our last training: Steep Angle Lower with a mid-station anchor to continue the lower. Emphasis is on equalizing multiple anchors, which can be challenging depending on the available anchors. Techniques are different for a Vertical Lower, vs a Steep Angle Lower and a Low Angle Lower. We practice all three.

04/21/2026

Resilience is key to CWMR and this is a regular focus at training. All new members receive training on Resiliency and develop a personal Individual Resiliency Plan. We also focus on Team Resiliency. Ongoing training and quarterly social events have significantly helped in this area by helping build relationships between our members which is key when we are on challenging missions.
We have recently added an emotional support canine to our team and are developing a plan for how he will integrate into our work.

04/19/2026

This weeks Wednesday training built off our last training involving a pick off of a mid-face injured climber. This training included the use of a litter.

The plan:
*set up a 2 rope rescue system using natural
anchors.
*perform a BC pick off of an injured climber
*lower the injured climber to the ground
*package in a litter
*raise the litter and injured climber to the top of
the cliff with the litter in a vertical orientation
*perform a Pike and Pivot maneuver to get over
the cliff edge

We had a number of our newer members in attendance, so a lot of learning was had.

04/01/2026

Beautiful evening for training last week, minus the wind! 😊
Time to get out in nature for some practice setting anchors in a natural environment along with some repelling practice and simple pickoffs.
We had a great turnout with two stations set up; practice for seasoned members and learning for new members.

03/12/2026

Central Washington Mt. Rescue has been busy on scene and behind the scene.

We’ve assisted Yakima County search and Rescue on several missions. And we’ve been planning and holding regular training.

Phase III and IV helicopter training was held this month.

Phase III HRT training is a mock mission format where an HRT will be inserted to the training area (steep terrain) via hoist, establish safety rigging, receive the medic, assist the medic with patient SKED packaging, assist the medic in hoisting the (dummy) patient and then the medic themselves back into the helo, clearing and packing the rigging, and returning to the helo via hoist.

Phase IV is the same, but at night.

Thank you to U.S. Army Air Ambulance Detachment "Yakima Dustoff" for a successful training. We are mission ready for the upcoming season.

02/19/2026

Thank you to U.S. Army Air Ambulance Detachment "Yakima Dustoff" for continuing the partnership to quickly and efficiently rescue persons who get in challenging situations in the mountains!

CWMR Members must remain up to date with training requirements in order to participate in missions that require helicopter transport.

Saturday, February 14th, 14 CWMR members attended Phase I and Phase II Training in order to be ready to fly. It was a sunny day and a successful training.

01/27/2026

This is why we do what we do.

On Sunday, the Yakima Search and Rescue team completed a mission on Potato Hill, near Mount Adams, after a snowmobile club found a man in need of medical attent

12/10/2025

Thank you to Yakima County Search and Rescue and U.S. Army Air Ambulance Detachment "Yakima Dustoff" for helping today!

UNION GAP- Union Gap police, with assistance from the Yakima County Sheriff's Office and the City of Yakima Fire Department, successfully rescued two men trappe

12/02/2025

Tomorrow, Dec. 2nd, is Giving Tuesday. Please consider Central Washington Mountain Rescue as one of your charities as you participate in Giving Tuesday.
CWMR is comprised of men and women who volunteer time to help others that have had an unfortunate situation in the mountains. They jump the minute a call comes in because time is of the essence. It can be 100+ degrees out or snowing and 0 degrees, and these volunteers grab their gear and move.
Our work is totally volunteer, financed by low key requests for donations from equally dedicated groups of supporters, primarily in the Yakima Valley. Our current truck was financed through donations along with the hauling equipment, ropes, some technical and medical equipment and litters. Each member has personal climbing and rescue equipment often costing $2,000-$3,000 or more.
In 2026, we will begin securing funds for a much need updated truck for safely hauling gear and members. Every little bit helps.
"So that others may live."

https://cwmr.org/donate/

11/21/2025

Our very own Renee Navarette!

After seven years as a volunteer, Renee Navarrete was hired to oversee the whole SAR program, which is administered by the Yakima County Sheriff's Office. Her position is new.