EVER
Y
YEAR
I
N
WISCONSIN
% DOZENS OF
PEOPL
E GET
L
OST
IN
THE
% WOODS
O
R
NED
N
EE
D
RESCUING ON THE
% WATER.
% THE
PEOPLE CALLED
OUT
TO
L
OOK
% FOR
THEM
T
RAIN
LIKE
% PROFESSIONALS, BUT GET
T
RAINED
% LIKE
VOLUNTEERS, LIKE THE
ONES
I
% MET ON THE JOB
IN
SAWYER
COUNTY.
% >>
ON A
SUNDAY
AFTERNOON TWO
% YEARS
AGO,
RYAN
NADELHOFFER
G
O
T
% ON
HI
S
ATV
IN
THE VILLAGE
O
F
% WINTER
I
N
S
AWYER C
OUNTY
A
ND
% PREPARED TO
RIDE
THE
TRAILS
TO
% HIS
HOME
IN
HAYWARD
30
MILES
% AWAY.%>>
HE
HAD
HIS
C
ELL
PHONE
AND
% GPS, SO
H
E
S
AID I
H
AVE
THE
% TRAILS READY TO
GO,
I
'M
FIN
E.
% >>
R
YAN'S
SISTER
AMBER
SAID
THE
% GPS TOOK
H
IM ON
THE
WRONG
TRAIL.% >>
I
W
AS
ON
M
Y
PHONE
AND
IT
TOOK
% ME TO
TH
E
SNOWMOBILE
TRAIL.% >>
HI
S
G
S
WAS
TAKING
HIM
PS
WAS
TAKING
HIM ON
% SNOWMOBILE TRAILS.
% HE LOST SERVICE.
% HE
PICKED A ROUTE
A
ND
DROVE A
N
D
% IT
TURNED
INTO
NO
TRAIL
AND H
E
% WAS
HUN
G
U
P
O
N A
FREE.% >>
RYAN
W
AS
L
OST
WITH A
DEAD
% PHONE
AND A
STUCK
ATV
.
% >>
I
H
AD
M
Y
HEADLIGHTS ON
FOR A
% WHILE
AND
THEN
W
HEN
THE
BATTERY
% DIED,
THEN IT
WAS
PITCH
BLACK.
% >>
WHEN
HE
DIDN'T
ARRIVE HOME ON
% TIME,
R
YAN'S
FAMILY
CALLED
THE
% SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT
AN
D
THE
Y
% ACTIVATED
THE
SAWYER
COUNTY
% SEARCH
AND
RESCU
E
TEAM.
% >>
W
E
KNEW HE WAS
O
N
H
IS
ATV,
S
O
% WE
REQUESTED
WINTER
FIRE
% DEPARTMENT TO COME
IN
A
ND
ASSIST
% WITH
THEIR
AT
Vs.
% >>
IS
H
E
THET
V
s% >>
THEY S
ET
UP A COMMAND
POST.
% >>
WAS
A
AMAZING TO SEE THEY
% HAVE THE
CAPACITY
TO
DO
T
HAT
I
N
% SUCH SHORT
T
IME.
% THE FACT THAT WE WERE
SITTING
AT
% HOME
WITH
THEIR
FAMILIES,
THEY
% GOT THE
CALL
AND
THEY
DIDN'T
% HESITATE.%>> JUS
T
AFTER
MIDNIGHT
SEARCHERS
% FOUND
RYAN,
WET
A
ND
COLD.
% >>
T
HE
W
A
Y
T
HE
TEMPERATURE WAS
% THAT
NIGHT, IF
T
HE
S
EARCH
% MEMBERS
WOULDN'T
HAV
E
LOCATED
% HIM, YOU
KNOW,
IT MAY
H
AVE
H
AD
% DIFFERENT
OUTCOME.% >> B
Y
T
HE
TIM
E
SEARCH
ERS
ERS IT
ERS
W
ERE
% CALLED
BACK, IT
WAS
MONDAY
AND
% MOST
OF
THEM HA
D TO
G
O
TO
W
ORK
% BECAUSE
IN
WISCONSIN
SEARCH
AND
% RESCUE TEAMS ARE
M
ADE
U
P
O
F
% VOLUNTEERS.%>>
W
E
MAY
H
AVE 35
OF
OUR
MEMBERS
% OR
WE MAY
HAV
E
FOUR.% >> YOU
WANT
T
O
SIGN I
N
O
VER
% HERE?
% >>
P
AT
S
ANCHEZ
I
S
T
HE
% COORDINATOR
O
F
SAWYER
COUNTY'S
% TEAM,
BU
T
THEIR
SEARCH
AREA
% DOESN'T STOP
A
T THE
C
OUNTY
LIN
E.
% >> THIS IS
KIND OF
THE
INFO
% SHEET ON THE PERSON
THAT
WE'RE
% LOOKING
F
OR.
% >>
THIS
SUMMER,
THEY
SPENT
% MULTIPLE DAYS IN
ASHLAND
COUNTY
% LOOKING FOR THE
B
ODY
OF A MAN
% WHO LIKELY
DROWNED
IN
THE
LAKE
.% >>
THIS
LAKE HAS
BEEN
SEARCHED
% WITH TWO
CADAVER
DOGS.
% DOGS H
AVE
SAI
D
SOMETHING'S HERE.
% WE DON'T
KNO
W
IF
IT'S
COMING
% FROM THE
LAK
E
OR OFF T
HE
SHORE
% INTO THE
L
AKE.% >>
VOLUNTEERS
SHOWED UP T
O
% SEARCH THE
SHORELINE
AND
WOODS.% >>
HEAT
INDEX
IS
GOING TO
G
ET
% REALLY
HIGH.
% MAKE SURE YOU
GUY
S
STA
Y
% HYDRATED.
% THE
REASO
N
WE'RE HERE IN
ASHLAND
% COUNTY IS
WE HAVE
B
EEN D
OING
% SEARCH
AND
RESCUE F
OR
MANY Y
EARS
% AND
O
UR
REPUTATION HAS
GROWN
% THAT WE ARE A
TEAM
THAT
WIL
L
% COME
IN.
% WE'RE WITH
THE
LOCA
L
AGENCIES.% >>
THE
TEAM HAS
BEEN
CALLED
OUT
% TO
85
SEARCHES OVER THE
LAS
T
% FOUR
YEARS,
NEARLY
HALF
O
F
THE
M
% OUTSIDE
THEIR HOME
TERRITORY.% >>
THE
SUCCESS
RATE HAS BEE
N
% APPRECIATED
B
Y
THE
SURROUNDING
% COUNTIES.%>>
SAWYER
COUNTY
SHERIFF
DOU
G
% MROTEK
SAY
S A
MISSING
PERSON
% CASE I
S
UNDER
JURISDICTION
OF
% LOCAL
LAW
ENFORCEMENT
A
ND
ONLY
% THEY
CAN
ACTIVATE A SEARCH.
% IF A
NEIGHBORING COUNTY ASKS
% HELP, THEY HAVE TO
AS
K
HIM
T
O
% ACTIVATE HI
S
VOLUNTEERS.% >> WE
H
AVE
RECEIVED
QUITE A
FEW
% REQUESTS FROM
T
HE
SURROUNDING
% COUNTIES
FOR
OUR
SEARCH
A
ND
% RESCUE
TEA
M.
% >>
BU
T
A
LL
THOSE
SEARCHES
COME
% AT A COST TO
THE
VOLUNTEERS.
% THIS
SEARCH
T
OOK
PLACE
% THURSDAY.%>> THIS
IS A
VACATION DAY FOR
ME
% AND
I
CAN
T
ELL
YOU
THA
T
I
USE
UP
% JUST
ABOUT
ALL
MY
VACATION ON
% SEARCHES.%>> SO YOU
TAKE CARE
O
F
YOURSELF,
% STAY
HYDRATED.% >>
SAWYER
C
OUNTY
HA
S
RECEIVED
% DONATIONS,
BUT
INDIVIDUAL% MEMBERS
P
AY
FOR
EVERYTHING ELSE
% ON
THEIR
O
W
N.% >>
WE'RE
RESPONSIBLE
FOR
O
UR
OWN
% CANINES,
FOR
OUR
OWN
TRAINING.% WE
HAVE
T
O
PAY
FOR
THAT OUT OF
% POCKET.
% WHEN WE
GET
OUR
OWN
VEHICLES AND
% DRIVE, WE ARE
HE
PAYING
PY
ING
WE
AR
EPYING
WE
ARE
PAYING
OUR
OWN
% GOODS
EXPENSES.
% >> THIS
IS
THE
W
AY
SEARCH
AND
% RESCUE WORKS
STATEWIDE.
% WE
CALLE
D EVERY
SHERIFF'S
% DEPARTMENT IN THE
STATE
TO
ASK
% HOW
THE
Y
CONDUCT
SEARCH
A
ND
% RESCUE.
% ONLY SIX
COUNTIES
SAID THEY
HAVE
% ANY KIND
O
F
IN-HOUSE
S
EARCH
AN
D
% RESCUE TEAM.
% WHEN
WE
ASKED
WHO THEY
WOULD
% CALL
IF
THEY
N
EEDED T
O
CONDUCT A
% SEARCH, THEY
POINTE
D
TO
NEARBY% VOLUNTEER GROUPS.
% BUT NO ONE
ACTUALLY
KNOWS
THE
% ENTIRE
LIST
OF
SEARCH
AND
RESCUE
% TEAMS.%>> WE
DON'T
HAVE A
GOOD
S
OLID
% LIST
AT
THIS
POINT
O
F
ALL
THE
% TEAMS IN THE
STATE
BECAUSE
THOSE
% ARE
USUALLY
LOCAL
ASSETS.
% >>
KEVIN
WERNET
IS AN
EXERCISE
% AND
TRAINING
OFFICER
WITH
% WISCONSIN
EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT.
% HE C
A
N
GE
T
TH
E
RIGHT
AIRCRAFT
I
N
% THE
SK
Y.% >>
W
E
SUPPORT
APPROXIMATELY
30
% TO 40
MISSIONS A YEAR FOR
SEARCH
% AND RESCUE
REQUESTS.% >>
WERNET
SAY
S
EACH
PART OF
THE
% STATE
PRESENTS
I
TS
% GEOGRAPHICAL
CHALLENGES, WHETHER
% IT
B
E
WOODS
O
R
WATER.
% >> IN
TH
E
SOUTHWEST
THERE'S A
% LOT
OF
RIVER
RESCUES.
% PAT
HAS A
LOT
OF
FORESTRY
TYPE
% STUFF.%>>
BUT
WISCONSIN
EMERGENCY
% MANAGEMENT
REALIZED
THEY
DON'T
% KNOW WHERE
THE
GAPS
I
N
COVERAGE
% MAY
B
E
BECAUSE
VOLUNTEER
GROUPS
% DON'T REPORT
TO
ANY
SINGLE
% AUTHORITY.%>>
A
BOUT A YEAR
AGO, WE
% IDENTIFIED A GAP AND WE
WERE
% WORKING
WITH
DIFFERENT
TEAMS
AND
% DIFFERENT
FOLKS AROUND THE
% STATE.
% SO
WE'V
E
BEEN
WORKING
T
O
EXPAND
% THAT
LIST.
% >>
PAT
SANCHEZ
UNDERSTANDS
% THERE'S NO
MONEY
FOR
PAYING
% SEARCH
AND
RESCUE
VOLUNTEERS,
% BUT THEY WOULD LIKE
T
HE
S
AME
% LEGAL
PROTECTIONS
OFFERED
T
O
% VOLUNTEER
FIREFIGHTERS.% >> IT
WOULD
B
E
NICE
IF WE
WERE
% TREATED
AS
EQUAL
TO
FIRE
% DEPARTMENTS, EMS AND
LAW,
% BECAUSE WE
ARE
FIRST
RESPONDERS.
% >>
IN
THE
MEANTIME,
SHE'LL
KEEP
% SHOWING UP W
HEN
THE
CALL
COMES
% IN.%>> SO THIS
IS
MY
HOBBY,
BUT
IT'S
% MY
PASSION,
TOO.
% BECAUSE I
WOULDN'T
DOING
IT
% IF I DIDN'T
GE
T
SOMETHING BACK
% AND WHAT
I
G
ET
BACK
I
S
FROM
ALL
% MY
TEAMMATES.
% WE'RE
FAMILY.
% AND
KNOWING
THAT
I'VE
HELPED
% SOMEBODY.%>>
AND THAT
IS
SOMETHING FOR
% WHICH
SMITH
AND
H
ER
% BROTHER
RYAN WILL
B
E
ETERNALLY
% GRATEFUL.%>>
IT'S
INCREDIBLE
T
HAT THE
% VALUE OF
LIFE
IS
SO
IMPORTANT TO
% THEM.
% AND
THEY
DON'T
GET
ANYTHING IN
% RETURN FOR
I
T
EXCEPT
FOR
THAT
% THEY'VE
HELPED A
FAMILY.