OCSAR members Dan Smith, left, and Ray Campbell with K-9 support on a mission last September in the Pasayten Wilderness.
Okanogan County Search and Rescue (OCSAR), an all-volunteer team that rescues people in the mountains, from the water, and in rock-climbing incidents, has new leadership following the election of a new county sheriff and the retirement of long-serving personnel.
Okanogan County Sheriff Tony Hawley has appointed Rick Balam, of Twisp, as administrator of OCSAR. Balam, who spent 45 years in law enforcement and was Twisp police chief from 2007-10, replaces Rick Avery, who retired at the beginning of the year.
Methow Valley resident (and Okanogan County Electric Cooperative general manager) David Gottula is the president of the search-and-rescue team, replacing Larry Gilman, who served 14 years as president before being elected as the county’s new assessor. Bob Rivard is the Methow Valley coordinator.
The county sheriff dispatches OCSAR if necessary after a 911 call. Sheriff’s deputies handle search-and-rescue missions on regular roadways, but OCSAR is called in when the rescue requires going into the wilderness or water, said Gottula. OCSAR has helped with swiftwater rescues, finding lost hunters, and with injuries in the mountains or on cliffs used for rock climbing.
“We get people to the road; then Aero Methow [Rescue Service] and the sheriff take it from there,” said Gottula. They may coordinate with helicopters to transport a victim if necessary. The people who are rescued are never billed for the service.
Because of cell phones, there are fewer calls to search for a missing hiker or hunter, said Gottula. On the other hand, with the increasing popularity of rock climbing, OCSAR teams have conducted more high-angle rope-support missions to rescue an injured climber. They use techniques that keep rescuers safe by getting to climbers from above, said Gottula.
OCSAR has about 30 volunteers with a variety of specialties and interests. Some people help with horseback rescues, some use all-terrain vehicles or snowmobiles, and some do swiftwater rescues by boat or help with rock-climbing accidents. There are also dogs trained to assist in searches. Some team members are from Aero Methow.
Calls for the search-and-rescue team average about 10 a year, in all seasons, although the need is typically greater during the summer and the fall hunting season, said Gottula.
Anyone interested in volunteering for the team should call Balam at (509) 341-4478. Volunteers must be physically fit and complete training.
OCSAR is not only an all-volunteer organization, but it gets no tax dollars and relies on donations and grants for operations and equipment. OCSAR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and donations are tax-deductible. Donations should be sent to P.O. Box 1344, Okanogan, WA 98440.
For more information, contact Gottula at 996-2228 or dgottula@ocec.coop.
