Laramie, Wyoming

News

While we would like to tell you about every mission we participate in, we are unable to do so unless the Albany County Sheriff's Office releases information.

On Saturday, the 16th, of January, a family of three, a husband and wife, age 46, and their son, age 18, were snowmobiling in the Snowy Mountain Range, west of the Green Rock parking area off HWY 130. During the afternoon one of the three snowmobiles became inoperable. Due to high winds and ground blizzards the family prepared for the night by building a snow cave and starting a fire.

 

On Sunday morning, the 17th, the father heard another snowmobile in the area and with one of the remaining snowmobiles left camp in hopes of gaining assistance. After a period of time the snowmobile the father was operating became submerged in a body of water. The father then took the last remaining snowmobile in an attempt to find help when his handlebars broke, rendering his snowmobile useless.

 

Again, due to high winds and ground blizzards, the father was forced to build another snow cave for himself and spent Sunday night in the cave. On Monday morning, the 18th, the father was soon located by search teams. All rescue teams were then diverted to the general area of the father’s discovered location until major ground blizzards prevented further search efforts.

 

Search efforts resumed at sunrise on Tuesday morning, the 19th. At approximately 8:00 a.m., search teams located the son, at which time it was determined that the mother was deceased. The son was then transported to an awaiting Snow-Cat and shortly thereafter transferred to the Wyoming Air National Guard helicopter where he was immediately airlifted to Ivinson Memorial Hospital. The son has been transported to a Colorado area hospital for further care.

 

 

Robert J. DeBree

Undersheriff

Albany County Sheriff’s Office

 

At 1338 today ACSSAR was contacted by the Albany County Sheriff's Office to assist Centennial Fire Department in carrying an injured skier off of Centennial Ridge. 12 members responded with additional help from Snowy Range Ski Patrol and the Medicine Bow Nordic Ski Patrol. The patient was successfully lowered to a landing zone and taken to more advanced medical care by approximately 1600. Thanks to all teams involved!

Module 1: Avalanche Foundations

Module 2: Avalanche Safety and Rescue Skills

 

Level 1 Avalanche course, Modules 1 and 2, offered by the National Ski Patrol,

Medicine Bow Nordic Ski Patrol, and Snowy Range Ski Patrol.

 

The course is open to both the general public and members of the ski patrol. It meets all American Avalanche Association standards for level 1 avalanche courses

 

This is a National Ski Patrol course with both classroom (Module 1) and on-the-snow (Module 2) experience. Participants will receive credit for both modules, and will meet all requirements to take Organized Avalanche Rescue (Module 3) additionally if desired.

 

TOPICS COVERED: Avalanche conditions, human factors, snow conditions, weather, route selection, transceivers, avoiding an avalanche, and rescue - what to do if you or a member of your group is caught by an avalanche.

 

TIME:      Tuesday February 16th,                      6:00 to 9:30 PM

                       Thursday February 18th,                    6:00 to 9:30 PM

                       Sunday February, 21st                         all day field session

                       Thursday February 25th,                   6:00 to 9:30 PM

       Saturday February 27th                     all day field session

 

COST: $32 plus text (Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain, 2nd edition, Bruce Tremper, 2008), payable at the first class.

 

PLACE: Room 115, UW Half Acre Building

 

RESERVATION OR INFO: rmlynds@yahoo.com

 

Want to Refresh? If you have taken this course, the National Ski Patrol recommends you refresh every three years. There have been significant changes. Refresher cost is $10 plus cost of text.

Module 3 (Organized Avalanche Rescue) Highly recommended for ski patrollers but optional for non-rescue personnel, this 1-day field course will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016.  The fee is $22. More information will be available during Modules 1 and 2.

Wednesday evening at 2030 ACSSAR received a request from the Albany County Sheriff's Office to be on standby for a possible search Thursday morning. Two hunters had become disoriented in thick fog near Sybille Road/Canyon. ACSSAR Teams mobilized at first light and entered the field around 0730. Limited contact had been made with the hunters and a general search direction was established. Approximately 1230 contact was made with the hunters. Both were in good shape and had built a strong shelter and two fires to keep warm. Search teams and hunters made their way back to Command by about 1530. Search teams experienced Temperatures in the single digits throughout the day as well as low visibility and areas of waist deep snow. Thank you to all responding on this Thanksgiving day! So much to be thankful for!

Paige began the board meeting by conducting a financial report. The new paging system phone number, (720)772-1030, was discussed and a refresher was done on how to operate the call-out website. Problems with the Baofeng radios were brought up. The SAR ATVs and what to do with them were examined. The work left to be done on the Incident Command trailer was reviewed. Purchasing a new laptop and installing a power compositor were discussed. Matt and Brenna would look into obtaining mapping software. Matt would also look into a scanner. It was pointed out that the IC trailer's batteries were old and not functioning effectively anymore, so Kurt moved to buy new ones. Matt seconded and all were in favor. 

Upcoming events included the November regular monthly meeting where Crime Scene Awareness will be discussed. There was discussion on offering the class more than once a year because it is a requirement for new members. A topic for the January regular monthly meeting was discussed and will be finalized at a later date. 

General business discussion began with considering purchasing SAR hats. Neil helped clarify a fire district and MOU question. Cleaning up and organizing the member roster was explored. It was proposed that members who had been determined as no longer active be moved from the regular member roster to the inactive list. Paige moved for this, Josh seconded, and all were in favor. Members whose statuses were unclear would be left on the roster and would be reexamined in 2016. 

Discussion on policy changes included planning a policy dinner and setting a timeline for completion of the new draft of bylaws. It was planned that the new draft of bylaws will be completed by the new year. Revisions will occur after that. A team holiday dinner was discussed for January, most likely on Friday the 22nd. Matt then moved to adjourn the meeting, Kurt seconded, and all were in favor. 

In attendance: Dane Purmalis, Dan Hutchinson, Matt Allshouse, Chris Armstrong, Page Hellbaum, Brenna Noll, Bob Meyer, Neil Matheson, Josh Hurt, Kurt Braisted, Harold, and Yvette. 

Dan called the meeting to order and read the minutes from the October board meeting. Paige conducted a financial report. Dan then discussed upcoming events including the policy dinner on 11/10, the land navigation exercise on 11/14-15, the upcoming November meeting, and the funeral service for Cathi Carr-Lundfelt which is to be held on 11/10. Dan announced that the SAR callout number changed to 720-772-1030. After-action reviews were briefly held for the callouts on 10/20 and 10/21. Officers and board members present at the meeting then reintroduced themselves. Harold adjourned and a break was taken. Annie then led a condensed class on hypothermia and how to deal with it. Dan then led the lecture on snowmobile safety. 

For the second day in a row ACSSAR was called to help locate an overdue hunter.  At 11:10 am ACSSAR was activated to search the northern part of the county near Laramie Peak for a hunter that had been missing since 1400 the previous day. While in route to the location, the hunter was located and all ACSSAR personnel return to Laramie.

 

http://www.co.albany.wy.us/albany-county-sheriff-news-release-1.aspx

 

PRESS RELEASE

At about 8:45 a.m. Wednesday, October 21, 2015, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office was notified of an overdue hunter in the northern part of Albany County near Friend Park Campground.

Information gathered was that the overdue hunter was 64 years old and hadn’t returned to camp on the evening of Tuesday, October 20, 2015.

The missing hunter had eight friends in their camp, and they had initially begun to search the area on horses and ATV four-wheelers.

A deputy arrived in the area and met with some friends of the man, and they had determined the area where he had been because of his vehicle being located and parked.

Prior to the first deputy arriving on scene, members of Albany County Search and Rescue and additional deputies were activated and began their response to the area.

Additional volunteer search teams with the University of Wyoming R.O.T.C. were placed on standby if needed.

At about noon, a friend of the hunter located him and his vehicle on a roadway some distance away from their camp.

The man advised that he had hiked about 1.5 miles away from where he had parked his vehicle and as darkness approached he determined that his flashlight was not working.

He correctly decided to start a fire to remain warm and took shelter near some large boulders for the night.

He eventually made it back to his vehicle and attempted to head back to their camp, yet took a wrong turn. After traveling for some distance he experienced vehicle problems.

Robert J. DeBree
Undersheriff
Albany County Sheriff’s Office

 

At 12:16am October 20th, ACSSAR received a request for assistance in locating an overdue hunter in the Foxburough area of the Snowy Range. ACSSAR members briefed and departed Laramie around 6 am.  Around 830 the subject returned to camp with the assistance of another nearby Hunter/Camper.

While teams were prepping to return to Laramie, a second call was received for an overdue hunter in the Muddy Park area of the Snowy Range.  While the teams were redeploying from the first search, the second hunter was located and teams received a stand down. All members were returned to Laramie by 10am.

 

Official Release *******************************

NEWS RELEASE - (October 20, 2015)

On Monday October 19, 2015 at approximately 9 P.M. Deputies of the Albany County Sheriff’s Office received a call of a 75 year old man who was reported missing after he walked away from his cabin in Foxborough Estates, which is located west of Laramie near Fox Park.

Both he and his son had been hunting in the general area when he told his son he was going to take a walk.

The man left the cabin at about 4:30 P.M. He had not returned by dark so his son began to search the area with negative results.

Due to bad cell phone reception, his son had to drive to a better location and called the Sheriff’s Office for help.

Deputies responded and searched the area for numerous hours and were unable to locate the missing man.

Due to darkness and with no immediate leads, the search was temporarily suspended until sunrise this morning.

Numerous Albany County Search and Rescue members and deputies responded back to the area and began the search on foot.

At about 8:31 A.M. the man had been driven back to his cabin by a resident who lives in the general area. He was determined to be in good health.

The man had reportedly spent the night on a porch of a cabin, so that he could stay out of the rain.

  

Robert J. DeBree

Undersheriff

Albany County Sheriff’s Office

 

The minutes from August's board meeting were read, a financial report was conducted, and upcoming training was discussed. Matt then led a lecture on Wildlife and Plant Encounters.

Finance

• Monthly Summary

• Fundraising letter

• Safety deposit box – update on keys and signatures

• SAR debit cards were discussed

• EMA funding

  • Still looking at dry suits
  • Wyolink radios

• JHPTS Buckhorn class – board decision on training reimbursement. This decision will be made at a later time.

• Dan led a summary and demonstration of Google Drive

 

Equipment/Gear

• New Baofeng radios

• Plates/Tags/Titles update. ATV trailer tags are still expired, but board found no reason to renew them with how late it is in the year.

• Command trailer

  • Radio updates (Neil/Cy) Cy said the Wyolink radios should be updated
  • Dan will look into longer antennas for the trailer
  • The generator is running but is finicky and noisy. Suggestions on ways to silence it were brought forth, and it was agreed that it should be cleaned.
  • Laptop – Chris will talk to his work about obtaining a display laptop for much cheaper, or even as a donation.
  • Printer/scanner/copier
  • Cell booster
  • Radio filter
  • Replace office supplies (pens, dry erase markers, printer ink. Matt will look into getting these.
  • Label large maps/cupboard contents. Matt volunteered to help Brenna

• Gear in Brenna’s garage

  • Hitch Rack – voted to sell with $50 reserve
  • Christmas decorations will be donated unless a member wants them
  • Horse gear – voted to be placed in Todd’s care

• Ball locks for trailers (3, possibly keyed the same)

 

Training

• Joint training opportunity with SEWSAR

  • SAR track at Respond Wyoming conference in March 2016 in Riverton
  • Managing the Lost Person Incident (MLPI) vs. SAR Basics

• Recent Trainings

  • July meeting – introduction to packaging and carry outs. Positive feedback.
  • Swift water – had a great training on 8/2 on the Poudre with setting up a ropes system
    • Follow-up ropes system training on the Laramie River on 8/6.
  • Mock search on August 16 – brief overview/comments

• Upcoming Training

  • Tracking training with Larimer County SAR on August 29
  • JHPTS Tracking at Buckhorn on September 18-20
  • Land Navigation with Russell Clark on November 14-15
  • Red Cross LTP class will be rescheduled for later in the fall
  • High angle knot passing

• Meeting topics

  • August meeting: Wildlife and Plant Encounters (Matt)
  • September meeting: Lost Person Mentality

 

General/Other

• Donor plaques will be revisited in 2016

• New member ID photos. Todd should have camera

• Get well card for Cathi

• Subscription to Terrain Navigator Pro considered. Easy access to maps/terrain.

 

Policy Changes

• Training Officer – Yvette offered to fill in for Jason until the next election. Matt voted to approve this, Brenna seconded, and all were in favor.

• By-laws: need review but are in decent shape

• ROPs: need some significant revisions in places

  • Member acceptance process
  • Conduct of current members
  • Officer duties/position descriptions
  • Training/member levels
  • Specialized group check-offs
  • Pack list updates (webbing, etc.)
  • On scene organization/procedures

• For a committee or schedule a specific meeting to work on these?

 

Those in attendance: Dan Hutchinson, Matt Allshouse, Chris Armstrong, Page Hellbaum, Brenna Noll, Bob Meyer, Dane Purmalis

Tuesday August 11th 2:28pm, ACSSAR received a request form the Albany County Sheriff’s Office to assist an injured hiker near the top of Laramie Peak in Northern Albany County.  Teams from ACSSAR along with several rescue personnel from  Converse County assisted the injured off the mountain and arrived back at the trail head around 10pm. ACSSAR responded with twelve rescuers for the initial call and an additional two for support later in the night.  All ACSSAR personnel had returned to Laramie by 2am.

ACSSAR Personnel: 12 Rescuers, 2 support, 2 ACSO Deputies
Vehicles: 6
Miles: Approx. 220 miles round trip
Other agencies involved: Albany County Sheriff’s Office, Converse County Sheriff’s Office and Converse County Search & Rescue

At 7:05, Dan called the July monthly meeting to order, after which Dane read the minutes from the July board meeting. Paige then conducted a financial report and made mention of the thank you letters that were sent to ACSSAR from two individuals who were rescued earlier in the month. Generous donations were included when the letters were sent. The letters were passed around for all to read. Dan discussed upcoming events and training, which included mountain bike team training on July 29, high angle team training on July 30, the Laramie Enduro race on August 1, new member orientation on August 4, mock search on August 16, JHPTS Tracking Class September 18-2o, and the Jelm Mountain Race on September 19. Dan then led an after-action review involving highlights of the two rescues that occurred earlier in July. The details of the after-action review can be found in the minutes of the July 2015 monthly board meeting. 

At 7:43, the present officers and board members introduced themselves. A representative named Sarah from the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) introduced herself and advertised NADA and discussed the benefits of acupuncture. 

At 7:54, Harold moved to adjourn, Dane seconded, and all were in favor. A short break was taken and at about 8:00, Paige led training on spinal immobilization and backboarding injured people. A few of the other officers with previous medical training contributed to the training as well. Those with experience on how the ACSSAR cots/stretchers worked helped demonstrate how to operate them. The meeting then split into several groups so each attendee could get hands-on training. This included strapping patients into stretchers, spinal immobilization, "log-rolling" patients with spinal injuries, and how to lift the stretchers with and without support straps.