Tahoe Search and Rescue

It’s shoulder season in Tahoe! EDSAR typically receives fewer calls for service in the fall when South Lake Tahoe is a little less busy with visitors. Our technical rope rescue team takes this opportunity to practice their skills. Last weekend the team spent Saturday morning training on the rope systems they use to rescue hikers and climbers who are stranded or injured on cliffs and other very steep terrain.

We now have an instagram account! Follow us for updates: https://www.instagram.com/tahoe.sar/

Thank you Tahoe Women’s Community Fund (TWCF) for putting on a great event last night.

The grant TWCF awarded our El Dorado Search and Rescue (EDSAR) Tahoe Team in 2023 allowed us to purchase vital survival equipment for our Nordic Team. Shout out to EDSAR Rescuer Jamie Lefkowitz for presenting at the Gala.

If it weren’t for generous donations and local grants, we wouldn’t always be able to do what we do. Thank you TWCF! We look forward to next year’s Gala at the 4-H club.

2/24/2024: SAREX - Large scale training
The entire EDSAR team (West Slope and Tahoe) got together to practice a large scale incident with in an incident.
What is that?
We get a call for a mission and while we are on the mission we get a second call.
The first training incident was an avalanche the second a helicopter crash.

2/20/2024: Self-Rescue and Anchor Building Training
The EDSAR team skied and snowshoed up to Cathedral Bowl (Tallac).
This might look like a bunch of volunteers rolling in the snow, but it is actually one of our challenging trainings because of the high chance to get hurt.

On Sunday, October 15th, 2023, at approximately 7pm we received a call from 6 stranded hikers in the Glenn Alpine TH area. The team went out with ropes. Set up the ropes and helped the hikers to get back on the trail.

On Friday, September 15, 2023, at approximately 9 p.m., the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office received an emergency call regarding an injured dog close to Cathedral Lake (Tallac Trail). The Search and Rescue team set out with the litter to carry out the dog. This was a challenging mission since the dog was 90 lbs. He had to be carried at first off trail through a very steep section. Finally we could get him into the litter which continued to be difficult because of terrain issues.
The dog was very exhausted but so happy to get a ride from us. A very appreciating subject.

https://eldoradosar.org/

On September 10, 2023, at approximately 2:30 p.m., the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office received an emergency call regarding a backpacker near Tamarack Lake in Desolation Wilderness. The family member who called into dispatch said that she was in constant communication with the solo male backpacker during his trek until an abrupt end to the communication in the evening of Sept 9th. The family member gave us his last known GPS coordinates, said the tracker hadn't moved since the night before and she hasn't been able to contact him. She also relayed that he had a pre-existing medical condition.

This information was relayed to the El Dorado Search and Rescue coordinator who immediately launched a team into Desolation Wilderness to find the backpacker.

Two ground team members of the El Dorado Search and Rescue Tahoe Team were deployed, arrived at the last known GPS coordinates and found the solo backpacker who was in medical distress. The ground team members relayed the information and a full-medical rescue was implemented. California Highway Patrol (CHP) Helicopter H20, Lake Valley Fire firefighters, Lake Tahoe Joint Powers paramedics, and Cal Fire personnel were requested and responded. Echo Chalet owner and personnel were also part of the rescue mission by shuttling emergency personnel via water taxi across Echo Lakes to the closest trailhead. The subject was ultimately airlifted out of Desolation Wilderness by CHP H20 and brought to an awaiting ambulance at a landing zone near Echo Summit at Highway 50.

It was the initial call from the family member into dispatch knowing the backpacker's communication cadence, travel plan and sensing something was wrong, the quick response from the search and rescue ground team and the secondary response from air and emergency medical personnel that made for a true life-saving mission.

Backpacking Tip: When traveling in the backcountry, always have a plan and share that plan with responsible people who can monitor your trip. This is a story of how his plan saved his life.

RIP - K9 Mika

Mika served as an El Dorado Search and Rescue canine specializing in area search and cadaver detection and was mission serviced from 2015 to 2019. She then continued on to work with Alpine County. She is loved by many and will be missed.

Rest in peace, Mika.
Thank you for your loyal service.

Thank you Flat Stick Pub for your donation to El Dorado Search and Rescue Tahoe Team!!!!

We just received 5 feet of snow and power is back on (after 2 days). A good time to go on a mission.
Two snowboarders got stranded under the Heavenly gondola.
4 skiers took the gondola up and skied towards the subjects. 5 snowshoers hiked uphill. Hard work in the deep snow in a steep terrain.
We walked out the 2 subjects on the path that the snowshoers laid out.

Giving Tuesday
Join us on this global day of giving, and help us to Search and Rescue for more people. Your donation will pay for our group gear (personal gear is paid by our volunteers).
With your help, we can do more.

Please donate to:
https://eldoradosar.org/

Nov 1st and the winter arrived in Tahoe.
Yesterday we had a mission to rescue a subject halfway up Pyramid Peak. Hwy 50 was closed from Meyers to Kyburz because of hazardous road condition. SAR team got a ride from the deputy.
The subject hiked out on her own the moment we arrived.
Please check the weather forecast before you go.
Please check the sky while you go.
SAR is happy to help if required.

After an extremely busy summer, we are back to a slow time for SAR missions.
Finally we have time to post some pictures from all the mission and trainings we had.
2022 Statistics (so far):
- 65 Missions
- 7 Community Events
- 41 Training Events
And we still love what we are doing :-)
During the summer months we had multiple missions per week, even per day!
We hiked out, flew out, drove out, got boat rides out, and most important carried out injured and lost hikers.
Luckily we had many new members joining us before the summer season to extend the team.
We are happy to serve you when you are in need for Search and Rescue.