Santa Clara County puts on annual search & rescue demonstration

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. (KION) The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office Search & Rescue Team held their annual search & rescue demonstration Saturday after it was canceled last year due to the pandemic.

Academy recruits were suited up and ready to go on their assignment of finding their simulated "missing person". They are also tasked with surviving the night without a tent and sleeping bag, using only the materials in their backpacks. One academy recruit says he does this for the community.

"We’re not allowed tents, we’re not allowed sleeping bags so basically it’s a tarp. We basically have to figure out how to test up a shelter to figure out and keep warm at night," said Richard Lynch, academy recruit.

The search and rescue demon is meant to simulate the real missing person scenario with three people planted throughout the park. One assignment with a serious medical condition while the other was located in difficult terrain.

"They’ve spent about the last 8 weeks or so learning different skills that they’re going to need out in the field. this is an opportunity for them to put it all together and it's an opportunity for our seasoned members to renew some of their skill sets," said Jackie Tubis, the Search and Rescue Director for the Santa Clara County Sheriffs.

 KION got the opportunity to survey some of the area in the Henry W. Coe Park where the teams were planted. Three helicopters were present in the demo from CAL Fire, Star 1 from the Santa Clara Sheriff's Office, and the National Guard.

"We open our mock search to many, many different agencies so that it more closely resembles what we would see in the real world if we had a large missing person event that required mural aid and requested assistance from our neighboring search and rescue teams," said Tubis.

All the search party members will need to spend the night at Henry Coe Park until the next morning.