2013 Missions
Many teams and incident base staff have participated in the following missions. In our area there are other great teams that regularly participate in missions. What we have reported here is what we saw and in no way do we intend to take full credit for any of these missions.
Mission #: 13-11-01
Date: February 17, 2011
Location: Caballo Lake State Park
Subject: Male Camper
A 19 y/o male was camping and fishing with others in a cove near the eastern shore of the lake. His companions reported him missing when they woke up on Saturday morning. Ground teams searched arroyos and ridge lines along the eastern shore of the lake. Subject was found deceased by the New Mexico State Police Dive Team.
Mission #: 13-04-02
Date: March 15, 2013
Location: South of Hillsboro, NM
Subject: Male Hiker
A 16 year old male walked away from a rehab facility. Subject believed to have run away and evading searchers. The search was suspended after two operational periods.
Mission #: 13-11-02
Date: April 16, 2013
Location: 22 miles south of Quemado, NM
Subject: Male Hunter
A 30 year old male turkey hunter got separated from his hunting partner on April 15th. Subject walked out as Search and Rescue teams were arriving in the area.
Mission #: 13-11-03
Date: May 6, 2013 to May 7, 2013
Location: Eckleberger Canyon Area, Gila National Forest
Subject: Male Hiker
A 51 year old male hiker went into the area to look for elk antlers with his son and nephew. Subject was last seen on May 5th at 08:00 hrs when the party separated. The subject did not return to their vehicle at the designated meeting time. When subject had still not returned by the morning of May 6th his son and nephew drove 30 miles to Reserve, NM to report him missing. The search was started around 17:00 on May 6th. The subject was located by a local rancher approximately 12 miles from the last known point and outside the main search area on May 7th at approximately 18:00 in good condition.
Mission #: 13-08-04
Date: May 26, 2013
Location: Pancho Canyon Trail, Capitan Mountains
Subject: Male Hiker
A 25 year old male hiker was hiking with his brother when they became separated. The subject's brother waited at their designated meeting location and when the subject did not show up NMSP was notified. The search began at approximately 02:00 and the subject was located at 06:30 in good condition.
Mission #: 13-11-04
Date: June 30, 2013 through July 3, 2013
Location: Quemado Lake, Gila National Forest
Subject: Multiple
A 16y.o. male and 14 year old male were at Quemado Lake with a group from the Apache Creek Deaf and Youth Camp. The boys were last seen at the opposite side of the lake on the afternoon of June 30th. A fisherman reported seeing the boys go underwater but got distracted by a bite on his fishing line. SAR teams searched the surrounding areas for any sign that the boys had left the lake while the NM State Police dive team search the lake.. The bodies of the two subjects were located on the afternoon of July 3rd by the NM State Police Dive Team. Socorro Search and Rescue participated during all four operational periods of this mission. The news article about this mission can be found here.
Mission #: 13-11-06
Date: August 18, 2013
Location: Willow Creek Campground, Gila National Forest
Subject: Male Horseback Rider
A 44-year-old male was scouting for elk with three companions on the Iron Creek Mesa in the Gila Wilderness in advance of the elk-hunting season. Having injured his back during a fall from his horse on August 16th, he decided to scout for elk on foot while his companions scouted on horseback on the afternoon of August 17th. When his companions returned to camp that evening they found the subject not there, they searched the area around their camp at Iron Creek Lake without success and reported the subject missing the following morning on August 18th. A ground search by a SAR team was commenced that night with additional ground teams and a dog team starting at daylight on August 19th. The NMSP helicopter ABLE 6 joined in the search on the morning of August 19th as well. The dog team had picked up the subject's scent just before the subject was spotted by ABLE 6, which landed and evacuate the subject to a hospital. The subject was uninjured but suffered from dehydration and exposure, having spent two nights without shelter or food.
Mission #: 13-08-10
Date: August 20 -21, 2013
Location: Alamogordo, NM
Subject: Male with Dementia
On August 20th, a 75-year-old male with dementia wandered away from a nursing facility in Alamogordo, NM. The subject was reported missing around 02:30 on August 20th after a bed check was performed. A citywide search was conducted on August 20th by NM SAR teams and local agencies. The search continued on August 21st and focused more on open rural areas within the city and around an apparent scent hit. After the subject was not found and no additional clues were located, the search was suspended on the evening of August 21st. The subject was located deceased in heavy brush in an alley at 09:50 hrs. on August 26th. Socorro SAR participated in this during the night of August 21st through to when the search was suspended.
Mission #: 13-05-13
Date: August 30 - September 6, 2013
Location: Holiday Mesa, Jemez RD, Santa Fe National Forest
Subject: Male Wildland Firefighter
Token Adams, an engine captain on a Jemez Ranger District engine was reported missing on the afternoon of Friday, August 30th while responding to a smoke report and searching for the 25-acre School House Mesa Fire located on School House Mesa. NM SAR started the search on Friday, August 30th and initially concentrated search operations of Holiday Mesa were the last communication form Token was received. Socorro SAR was called to respond on Monday, September 2nd for the 6th operational period. On Tuesday, September 3rd, the mission was transitioned to the Southwest Incident Management Type 1 Team under the command of Joe Reinarz and a unified command was set up between the Type 1 team and NMSAR. On Friday September 6th at 11:45 hrs. during the 10th operational period, Token Adams was found deceased by a ground team on Stable Mesa. The cause of death was an ATV vehicular accident. From the first operational period to the last operational period, the search was expanded to include School House Mesa, Stable Mesa, Holiday Mesa, Virgin Mesa, and surrounding areas. This was one of the largest searches in states history. Socorro SAR had members participate in operational periods 6, 8, 9, and 10.
Mission #: 13-11-07
Date: September 18, 2013
Location: Mogollon, NM
Subject: Male Hiker
On September 14, 2013, an 83-year-old male went to move his truck to higher ground when a flash flood warning horn sounded for the town of Mogollon. The subject never returned to the inn to claim his belongings. The subject's vehicle was located on September 19, 2013 by ABLE 6 during operational period 1 approximately a 1/4 mile downstream from Mogollon buried in mud and full of debris. The truck was exhumed during operational period 2 and the subject was not located within the vehicle. The search continued through September 20th and suspended after four operational periods due to a lack of new information and clues to the subject's location.
Update: On September 23, 2013 a body was discovered where Mineral Creek meets the San Francisco River about two tenths of a mile south of the Alma bridge. This is approximately eight to ten miles from where the vehicle was located. On September 26, 2013, it was announced that the body has been positively identified as the body of the subject of this search. The news article can be found here.
Mission #: 13-11-09
Date: September 30 - October 3, 2013
Location: 20 miles Northwest of Magdallena, NM
Subject: Male Hiker
A 67 year-old male was reported missing on September 30 after not returning home as scheduled on September 29. The Socorro County Sheriff Department located the subject's vehicle and tracked the subject for approximately 1.5 hours before the track was lost. The sheriff also called in PHI Air Medical to assist with an aerial search of the area. When the subject was not located during this initial search, the sheriff's department requested from NMSP that a search and rescue mission be initiated. The first search teams were put into the field around 00:00 on October 1. The search lasted four operational periods and ended with the discovery of a body at approximately 12:00 hrs on October 3. The body was found approximately 3 miles from the subject's vehicle. The identification of the body has yet to be released.
Mission #: 13-11-10
Date: October 6, 2013
Location: Springtime Campground, Cibola National Forest
Subject: Male Hiker
A 67-year-old male was hiking with a group of friends and got separated. A search and rescue mission was initiated at 21:00 in October 6. At 21:45 the subject walked out and the mission was terminated. This occurred while SSAR was gearing up to leave town.
Mission #: 13-05-17
Date: October 7, 2013
Location: Rio Rancho, NM
Subject: One Male and One Female ATV Riders
Search for a lost couple on an ATV on the West side of Rio Rancho, NM. Subjects were located approximatly 15 min. before SSAR members arrived at Incident Base.
Mission #: 13-11-12
Date: October 20, 2013 - October 23, 2013
Location: Pueblo Park Campground, Gila National Forest
Subject: Male Hiker
A 43 year-old male hiker was reported mission on October 20th after getting separated from his hiking partner while hiking from the Saddle Mountain Lookout back their off-trail. The subject was last seen after dark when the two separated for unknown reasons while hiking south on Pueblo Creek. A search and rescue mission was initiated at 14:35 on October 20. At 11:55 on October 23 the subjects father fell ill, collapsed, and died while the mission conitned for the subject. The mission was suspened at 19:00 on October 23. On October 27 the subject was located consciou but incoherent by hunteres in the area of Pueblo Park. The hunters left to get help and by the time they returned the subject had passed away.
Mission #: 13-08-13
Date: October 25, 2013
Location: High Rolls, NM
Subject: Male Mountian Biker
A 54 year-old male was stranded and injured in teh Lincoln National Forest near High Rolls, NM whild mountian biking. The search was started on October 24 and was concluded with the subjects rescue on October 25. Socorro SAR was called to assist on October 25 but was stood down as the team was about to depart due to the subject being found.
