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Alamosa Volunteer Search and Rescue is an all Volunteer, non-profit Search and Rescue team based in Alamosa, CO.

SAVE THE DATE! Suds4SAR 2021! AUGUST 21!

SAVE THE DATE!
Suds4SAR 2021! AUGUST 21!

#AVSAR #COLORADOSAR #alamosavolunteersearchandre

#AVSAR #COLORADOSAR #alamosavolunteersearchandrescue #neverwait #alamosacolorado

Tuesday was AVSAR's annual Lift Ticket training wi

Tuesday was AVSAR's annual Lift Ticket training with REACH/Guardian Air. Thia round we trained with the new crew based out of SLV Health right here in Alamosa! Below is a video from the patient's perspective of being loaded into the helicopter on the stretcher during a "hot load"

This is the first time we were able to train with the rotors spinning! Thank you so much Guardian1/REACH71!

REACH Air Medical Services
#AVSAR #ColoradoSAR #reachairmedicalservices @reachairmedical #lifttickettraining #allvolunteer #AlamosaVolunteerSearchandRescue #alamosacolorado #Colorado #COLORADOSAR #coloradosearchandrescue

In the late evening of Sunday, April 11th, AVSAR w

In the late evening of Sunday, April 11th, AVSAR was paged out to assist Saguache County Search & Rescue for a hiker in the Willow Lake Area who was showing signs of hypothermia. AVSAR responded with two hasty team members to assist SAGSAR. The two AVSAR members were inserted by Flight For Life Colorado with additional gear to assist in the extraction of the hypothermic subject. When teams arrived to the subject, they did a medical assessment and began tactics to start to warm the subject. It was determined that the subject was in stable enough condition to hike out with teams, which rapidly warmed her up again. All teams and the hiker were safely off the mountain by dawn, April 12.

Unfortunately, this was a case where the hiker was very unprepared. The hiker did not have proper footwear or clothing to be dealing with hip deep snow and quickly lost the trail when the "trench" disappeared. Had the hiker had proper clothing, footwear and trail condition knowledge, she may have been able to self rescue.

Always research the trail conditions before setting out on a hike. Having the ten essentials in your pack, proper clothing and proper footwear SAVES LIVES.

It is always a pleasure getting to work with other agencies like Saguache County SAR and Flight for Life Colorado.

#AVSAR #ColoradoSAR #searchandrescue #allvolunteer #FlightForLife @fflco #SAGSAR #sothatothersmaylive

On Sunday, March 7th, AVSAR was back our training

On Sunday, March 7th, AVSAR was back our training on our Rescue rigging. This was a training on how to set up a Guide Line, which is a way to "float" the litter with the patient down the mountain. We has absolutely beautiful weather and a great time training!
#AlamosaVolunteerSearchandRescue #AVSAR #alamosacolorado #rescuerigging #COLORADOSAR #coloradosearchandrescue #allvolunteer #searchandrescue

On Sunday, February 7th, AVSAR Team members partic

On Sunday, February 7th, AVSAR Team members participated in their Partner Rescue for Avalance Training. Beautiful day spent at Lobo Overlook up on Wolf Creek Pass.

Team members were excited to work out their new RAB Khroma Kinetic Hard Shells!

#alamosavolunteersearchandrescue #AVSAR #LoboOverlook #WolfCreek #avalancheprepared #RAB #AvalancheAware #colorado #allvolunteer #searchandrescue @rab.equipment @rab_denver

On Sunday, October 11, 2020 Alamosa volunteer Sear

On Sunday, October 11, 2020 Alamosa volunteer Search and rescue was contacted about a missing female hiker, who was last heard from at 1500hours from the summit of ellingwood point. AVSAR immediately sent out a page to the team. The missing female hiker was described as Joy Cipoletti, a 60year old female, wearing a purple fleece jacket and a white hat. She was last seen by a fellow hiker above the C2 colouir at 1400hours on 10/10. AVSAR successfully started cellphone forensics with AFRCC and were able to ping her cellphone at the summit of ellingwood point at 1500hours. The search for Joy spanned over five days and involved multiple search and rescue teams from around the state and multiple assets. Joy was found deceased, from an apparent significant fall, around 1330hours on 10/15 when a UH60 from Buckley Air Force Base spotted her orange backpack. A drone team deployed to the area from Park County Search and Rescue then deployed their drone to confirm Joy's location.

Our most heartfelt condolences go out to the friends and family of Joy Cipoletti. The stories share about Joy proved that she was the most beautiful soul and had a very positive impact on everyone she met. We cannot begin to imagine the pain that everyone she touched is feeling. This mission proved how the state of Colorado rallies together when they are most needed. Teams across the state of Colorado sent volunteers to aid know the search for Joy. There were also multiple assets who responded to assist in the search.
AVSAR cannot thank all of the volunteers from around the state enough for leaving their families,friends, jobs and lives to commit their time to bring Joy home.

AVSAR would like to thank:
Out of County Search and Rescue Teams who responded:
Douglas County SAR
Arapahoe County Rescue
Saguache County SAR
Chaffee County South SAR
El Paso County SAR
Mineral County SAR
Fremont County SAR
Western Mountain Rescue
Park County SAR
Custer County SAR
Teller County SAR
Huerfano County SAR

Assets who assisted with the mission:
REACH29- Reach Air Medical
Alamosa County Sheriff's Office
ACSO Sgt. Paul Gilleland & K9 Blitz
Lifeguard4- Flight for Life
MMA Aircraft- Colorado Division of Fire

On Sunday 9/6, AVSAR was called out for three hike

On Sunday 9/6, AVSAR was called out for three hikers who had become cliffed out on their descent down from Ellingwood Point, in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The three hikers were cliffed out on a ledge approximately 600ft above the South Zapata Lake Basin above a large scree field. AVSAR requested help from Flight for Life, Lifeguard 4, to fly over the area and get coordinates of the hikers and to insert team members via helicopter into the South Zapata Lake Basin. The helicopter flew over the hikers and successfully got coordinates of the hikers, but because of the high temperatures and high speed winds, were not able to insert team members. Team members began hiking in on foot to the cliffed out hikers. Teams were able to make contact with the cliffed out hikers at dark and camped out for the evening in preparation of assisting the hikers down in the morning. Teams successfully set up a hand line to assist the hikers down in the morning, down off their ledge. After arriving in the South Zapata Lake Basin, teams packed up their camps, along with the hikers camps and began the descent down to the trailhead.
All teams were off the mountain at 1457 (9/7).

AVSAR would like to remind everyone to research your route. These hikers got into sketchy terrain when they made a wrong turn between the C2 and C3 colouir.

We would like to thank Flight for Life for assisting us in finding the hikers and for bringing in additional supplies to team members the next morning, Colorado Search and Rescue Association (CSAR) for providing needed support for resources,the Alamosa County Victim's Advocates for gathering food and drinks for our tired and hungry team members, and to the Alamosa County Sheriff's Office for delivering much needed food and drinks to our exhausted teams.
#AVSAR #COLORADOSAR #alamosavolunteersearchandrescue #sangredecristo #CSAR #COLORADO #alamosaco #searchandrescue

At approximately 1530hours on July 27 AVSAR was p

At approximately 1530hours on July 27 AVSAR was paged out for two overdue hikers on the Mount Blanca Massif. The two hikers were last seen at the Holbrook Creek crossing at 2030hours on 7/26, when they separated from their hiking party to camp another night at Lake Como. AVSAR immediately deployed two 4x4 truck teams up Lake Como Rd. With torrential rains over the last few days in the area, Lake Como Rd has become even more dangerous than normal. There were several weather induced rock slides that the team had to navigate on their ascent up Lake Como Rd. The overdue hikers were found at Lake Como, healthy and safe. They were reunited with family and friends at 2055hours.

A very special thanks goes out to our Alamosa County Sheriff, Sheriff Robert Jackson, for heading up with one of the truck teams and even hiking in a half mile with a team member to find the overdue hikers. Our team would not be where we are, without the incredible support he and his staff provide for our team. He truly goes above and beyond to advocate for us.

With severe weather always a factor in the mountains, it is always best to plan for the unexpected. This mission, once again, proves communicating your plans with your friends/family/hiking party is absolutely essential.

#AVSAR #ColoradoSAR #CSAR #BLANCA #BlancaPeak #SangredeCristo #LakeComoRd #LakeComo #searchandrescue #alamosacountysheriffsoffice #AlamosaVolunteerSearchandRescue #allvolunteer #nochargeforrescue

At 1340 on July 23rd, AVSAR was contacted by the A

At 1340 on July 23rd, AVSAR was contacted by the Alamosa County dispatch Center about a Hiker in distress who was on Lake Como Rd. The hiker was complaining of chest pains and light headedness. AVSAR paged out the team along with two of the 4×4 drivers. Alamosa EMS staged an ambulance at Incident Command to evaluate the hiker once he was brought down. Two truck teams were sent up the mountain and made contact with him at 1559. After the hiker was evaluated, he was evacuated via the 4×4 trucks and then was evaluated by Alamosa EMS upon arrival to Incident Command. All teams were back to Incident command at 1708.
A huge thanks goes out to Undersheriff Shawn Woods for initially driving his patrol vehicle as high as he could up Lake Como Rd to try to reach the hiker and to Sheriff Robert Jackson for always being our biggest supporters!

#blancapeak #ellingwoodpoint #littlebearpeak #AVSAR #ColoradoSAR #coloradosearchandrescue #AlamosaVolunteerSearchandRescue #sangres #sangredecristo #alamosa #Colorado

At approximately 1300 on 6/21 AVSAR was paged out

At approximately 1300 on 6/21 AVSAR was paged out for an injured climber attempting to summit Ellingwood Point via the South Zapata approach, who had fallen over 100ft down a snow field. The 23 year old woman, who was in a party of four, reported significant pain in both knees. AVSAR requested a lift ticket insertion from REACH Air Medical and placed a mutual aid request through Colorado Search and Rescue Association (CSAR). Help quickly arrived from our neighboring counties, Custer County SAR (CCSAR) and Chaffee County- South SAR (CCSAR-S). Six team members were inserted by REACH-29 and an additional 9 team members began the 5.5 mile ascent up the South Zapata trail, in the event that REACH-29 was unable to evacuate the subject. The teams began a technical lower of the subject down approximately 1000ft of scree field into the lower basin where REACH-29 was waiting. The subject was air lifted out by approximately 2130. All teams were out of the field by 0055 on 6/22, and were greeted by food and drinks graciously provided by Alamosa County Victims Advocates.
#AVSAR #EllingwoodPoint #ColoradoSAR #coloradosearchandrescue #sangredechristomountains @reachairmedical #searchandrescue

Who says you can't train and have fun?!

Who says you can't train and have fun?!

WOMENS SHIRTS ARE IN!!!! GO GET ONE! https://www.a

WOMENS SHIRTS ARE IN!!!!
GO GET ONE! https://www.avsar.us/product/2019-womens-blanca-massif-shirts/

Or stop by @kristimtsports in Alamosa!
We also added more unisex sizing!
#AVSAR #ColoradoSAR #BlancaMassif #BlancaPeak #sangredechristomountains #sangredecristo #shoplocal #SupportSAR #supportlocalbusiness #LittleBearPeak #ellingwoodpoint #coloradosearchandrescue

In the late evening of August 25, 2019, AVSAR pers

In the late evening of August 25, 2019, AVSAR personnel received a message on their facebook requesting some advice from a very worried mother.
We were first contacted at 2248 with a message from the mother explaining that her son had missed his check in time (2100hours) and she was beginning to become alarmed. AVSAR Personnel continued a conversation with the woman gathering information about her son's plans and tried to stress the importance of calling The Alamosa County Dispatch Center and reporting him as an overdue hiker. At 2231, dispatch was contacted and made aware of the overdue hiker. The man's plans were to start up the trail at 0400hours on 8/25 to summit Ellingwood Point and Blanca Peak and planned to be back to his vehicle by 1400hours and be on the road to the trailhead for Wetterhorn Peak. It was unknown if he was taking the Lake Como Approach or the Zapata Approach. Once dispatch was contacted, we began action behind the scenes. We attempted to ping the overdue hiker's phone to get a general location of where he was. We had no idea if he was still on the Blanca Massif, if he had made it to the next trailhead over 4 hours away, or if he was somewhere in between. The ping was unsuccessful due to the phone being powered off, so we moved on to the next step. At 0022hours Deputies were sent to the Zapata Falls Trailhead and the Lake Como Rd Trailhead to attempt to locate the man's vehicle. After checking both trailheads, we were unable to locate his vehicle. At 0155hours AVSAR was contacted by the Mother saying she finally received a brief text from her son, stating that he was okay but didnt have cell service. All teams were notified that contact had been made with the overdue hiker and that he was okay.
We would like to stress to everyone out there that you do not need to be worried about contacting 911 and reporting your overdue hiker missing. If you are calling to report a hiker missing from outside our area, please call (719)589-5807.

Thank you so much to the amazing team we have at our Alamosa County Dispatch Center and Alamosa County Sheriff's Office. They work around the clock to keep our community safe!

Brand new hats available @kristimtsports Get your

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