MINERAL COUNTY — Ten members of the Mineral County Search and Rescue organization met on Sunday, Feb. 19, at the Continental parking lot near North Creek Falls for snowmobile training. During the winter months, rescues in locations accessible only by snowmobile are a regular occurrence, and it is essential that rescuing personnel be familiar with the equipment and functions that are unique to these types of events, organizers stated.
The training included a review of essential cold weather attire necessary to protect personnel, equipment necessary to conduct searches for avalanche victims, other health and safety equipment that may be required to prepare for medical or trauma emergencies, familiarization with the operation of the SAR-owned snowmobiles, and, perhaps most importantly, demonstration and practice of extricating snowmobiles that may have become stuck in deep, off-trail snow.
MC Search and Rescue support is available to residents and visitors to Mineral County year-round. In addition to trained snowmobile rescue teams, specialized teams are trained in ATV incidents, avalanche searches, equine searches, high-angle ropes incidents, swift water rescues, and, of course, the usual ground-pounder search events.
Assistance is available 24 hours a day by calling 911 to the Colorado State Patrol Dispatch Center in Alamosa.
