October 2004 - SMRG in Shenandoah National Park (SNP).

Rappahannock County. During the last three weekends in October, SMRG member teams deployed again in Shenandoah National Park, to provide much needed search and rescue support to National Park Service staff.

On the first such deployment (October 16-17), the SMRG team responded to five separate incidents, including a semi-technical rescue, three medical incidents, including one fatality, and a multiple missing person search.

On the second deployment (October 23-24), the SMRG team assisted Park staff rescue a 46 year-old woman, who had injured her knee and was unable to walk off Old Rag Mountain. A SMRG team deployed under the leadership of Group Training Officer Steve Weiss. The team leader and EMT, Zeb Whitaker, deployed quickly to supplement first responders from the Park staff in assessing the situation and the patient.

The remainder of the team, led by T.J. Willis, deployed with the gear a short while later. The long brutal hike up the mountain, hauling a full litter and all necessary technical equipment to support an evacuation over steep difficult terrain, required more than two hours and included one semi-technical belay.

Darkness was closing in fast as the main team reached the patient. After completing the patient assessment, the patient was packaged in the litter and made comfortable for the long and arduous journey down the mountain.

Meanwhile, the rigging team prepared the first of seven semi-technical belays. The long haul down Old Rag began as darkness engulfed the mountain. The SMRG team worked closely with Park staff moving the litter, setting up belay points, belaying the litter and selecting the route for the descent. Several hours later, the team reached the upper parking lot to a waiting ambulance and a slightly warm, but much appreciated meal.

The team returned to its base camp around 0200 hours, exhausted but fulfilled. Another successful rescue mission concluded.

July/August 2004 - Business is Brisk
Since July 22, 2004 there have been nine searches in the SMRG/ASRC area of operations. SMRG has responded to five of these searches.
The searches have been in the following counties:
• Monongalia County, WV
• Preston County, WV (twice)
• Calvert County, MD
• Powhatan County, VA
• Botetourt County, VA
• Southhampton County, VA
• Morgantown, WV
• Montgomery County, VA

It seems the long absence of searches has suddenly changed, so SMRG members have their SAR packs at the ready, eager to be a part of the action.
SMRG has approximately 85 active members. If you are interested in helping support SMRG in its wilderness search and rescue mission please send an email to Join SMRG for details on how to join SMRG.

March 2004 Click Here
Searches on Old Rag and in SNP result in 2 successes. A member of SMRG was the volunteer that arrived on the top of Old Rag to find the lost boy.

January 2004 Click Here
SMRG search and rescue teams responded to the second search incident after National Park staff raised the alert. SMRG was on a field training exercise near the park at the time. A SMRG response team provided patient evacuation from the find location, approximately 1.5 miles into a wilderness area of the park, to a waiting ambulance.