Beaverhead Search & Rescue News

The Beaverhead Search and Rescue held its monthly meeting on Wednesday February 3, 2021. The meeting was called to order by the new commander, Lawrence Morrisroe at 7:00 PM. There were 18 individuals attending in the building and another 12 in attendance via zoom. There wasn’t much business to attend to.

Apparently, since the unit couldn’t have their annual fish derby, a group of local residents went out to Clark Canyon and held their own fish derby. It not clear how the money was raised but the group made a donation to the SAR unit in the amount of $115. We graciously accepted the donation and asked no questions.

The next order of business was a report by Nathan Freeman, the unit’s training officer. He is working on scheduling an avalanche training which will be in the near future. The unit has been invited to participate in Civil Air Patrol operations with the Ruby Valley S&R April 1st. The Ruby Valley group will also engage in ice rescue training on the 5th and 6th of March. It was also noted there are numerous training opportunities online and most of these will be accepted upon completion for unit training requirements.

Next was the introduction and welcoming of two new probationary members. These new members are Dan Cahill and Tyler Grover. Dan has been around Dillon for about 4 years and is a retired law enforcement officer out of California. Tyler is a local guy, a born and raised Montanan and has always wanted to participate in Search and Rescue. If you see either of these men on the street, congratulate them on their new membership. Sheriff’s deputy Croff was also introduced to the unit. He will be working closely with the Beaverhead Search and Rescue in the future.

Your SAR unit would like to remind everyone about the dangers of venturing out during the winter months. First, the avalanche danger is extremely high out there. If snowmobiling or cross country skiing/snowshoeing, know the snow conditions in the area before going out. Avalanches can happen anytime and anywhere. Never go without a peep, probe, and shovel. Second, ice fishing is a great way to enjoy time in the outdoors but with the varying temperatures one needs to be aware of changing ice conditions. It is a great practice to never drive your vehicles on frozen lakes, reservoirs, or ponds. And last but not least, if you drive off the beaten path, even though there isn’t much snow out there yet, drifts and changing conditions can present problems when not really expected. Make sure you have proper clothing and equipment with you. Enjoy our great outdoors and the many opportunities we have but be careful and take all the proper precautions to be safe.