Living in a very rural area as we do, having a well trained Search and Rescue (SAR) Team is almost a necessity of life here. Gogebic County is 1100 square miles and of that, a good 90% is wilderness with rivers, lakes, waterfalls and some rather steep cliffs in spots. Each year, Gogebic County has large numbers of tourists come to the area to explore our scenic beauty. Local residents also frequently enjoy free time in the secluded wilderness by hiking, hunting, skiing, camping, fishing and by taking to the backwoods to explore the scenery with cameras in hand. Although a Search & Rescue Team can be called to action within the community itself, it is usually wilderness accidents by people such as becoming lost or injured where an SAR Team is most valuable. Rough terrain and thick wooded areas can take their toll on the casual visitor as well as those with experience in the wild. When such events occur, local police and fire agencies are often overwhelmed by lack of manpower or training in wilderness rescue. Hence the need for a well trained Search & Rescue Team.

Over the years, the Gogebic County Sheriff Department has been in the lead of Search & Rescue operations within the county. The department in the past has sponsored several SAR units that have come and gone for various reasons. Back when your webmaster was still with the department, I had been one of the founders of one of these prior groups and enjoyed volunteering my time for this worthy project. But as time went on, this team like others before it had disbanded and the lack of a working SAR Team in the county had again put a strain on community resources for several years when rescue operations were needed.

Now, this is no longer the case. A few years ago Deputy Scott Voit of our department who is also a volunteer fire fighter, decided the time had come for a rebirth of a local Search and Rescue Team. Since Scott put together the team with the departments and community support, the Gogebic County Search & Rescue Team has again become a valued asset to the community. Members of the team regularly train for various rescue operations as difficult as icy water rescue to the more mundain tasks of rescuing a persons beloved pet. This web page and hopefully others as time goes on is dedicated to the community minded volunteers who spend their free time training so others may live. Although this web page is new and limited in content at this time, please check back as we hope to bring you more information about the team as time goes on. The following are some images provided by Deputy Voit of the SAR Team in action during training...

For information on the SAR Team on how you can volunteer or donate, contact Deputy Voit at: Gogebic County Search & Rescue Team Coordinator

NOTE: To Prevent Scott from getting tons of junk e-mail, you must remove "REMOVE_FOR_SPAMBLOCK_" from your e-mail message SEND TO field before sending in order for your message to get to him. Thank you.

SEARCH & RESCUE TEAM
OFFICIAL LOGO

Gogebic County has 3 major 3 hills within just a few miles from the Sheriff Dept. One rescue which can occur from time to time is when a mechanical breakdown or other emergency requires stranded chairlift occupants to be evacuated off a lift.

SAR TEAM MEMBERS (L TO R) PAUL CRADIT, KATE SMET, BILL BAER,
AND MIKE MARCHELLO WAIT TO BE "RESCUED"
From a ski hill chairlift rescue training exercise.


CHAIRLIFT EVACUATION TRAINING - INDIANHEAD MOUNTAIN - JANUARY '05


SAR TEAM MEMBERS MIKE MARCHELLO AND KATE SMET PREPARE TO
LOWER "VICTIMS" FROM THE CHAIRLIFT.

Even our 4 legged friends can need to be rescued from time to time. The following was the rescue of a dog at the base of the Keystone Bridge in Ramsay.
SAR TEAM MEMBERS PREPARE TO RAISE THE "VICTIM" OUT OF THE RIVER.


SAR TEAM MEMBER MIKE TILLEY SECURES A HARNESS ON THE DOG TO
HOIST HIM FROM THE RIVER.


PHOTO THAT WAS IN THE GLOBE NEWSPAPER FROM SAR TEAMS RECENT
DOG RESCUE ON THE BLACK RIVER NEAR THE KEYSTONE BRIDGE ON 04-07-05

Being a wilderness area, Gogebic County has a large number of rivers and lakes. People getting into trouble with nature doesn't only occur in summer months. Frozen waterways can be quite dangerous to the unprepared if the ice gives way beneath you. The SAR Team trains for such emergencies no matter the season.

Deputy Scott Voit, Search and Rescue Team Coordinator, instructs Team members
in the proper use of the Oceanid Rapid Deployment Craft in an ice rescue situation.
The training was held on Sunday Lake in Wakefield. The craft was purchased
through a grant from the Gogebic Range United Way and donations from the
First National Bank of Wakefield, Keewenau Land Association, and Extreme Tool.
The "banana boat" as we like to call it for obvious reasons, has already been used
in the rescue of a snowmobiler that broke through the ice in Bergland Bay on
Lake Gogebic.


SAR TEAM MEMBERS PRACTICE RESCUE TECHNIQUES WHILE WEARING
THE MUSTANG "ICE COMMANDER" RESCUE SUITS. THE SUITS PROVIDE
THERMAL PROTECTION AS WELL AS FLOTATION FOR THE RESCUER.
THE SUITS WERE PURCHASED IN 2004 THROUGH A GRANT FROM THE
UNITED WAY.

My thanks to Scott and his fellow SAR Team members for the photos and for the great work they do. As time goes on, I hope we can continue to add to this SAR page with more information and photos. Your webmaster...

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Gogebic County Sheriff Dept.


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