WEBER COUNTY — After John Sohl helped return a lost boy to his distraught parents, he was hooked.

It’s been about 25 years since that day when Sohl first volunteered with Weber County Search and Rescue, but his passion hasn’t dimmed. As one of the SAR team commanders, he shared details of what it is like to essentially be on call 24-7, 365 days a year.

“If you are able to respond, you do,” he said.

Team structure

SAR teams operate under the direction of county sheriff’s offices in Utah, but are made up completely of volunteers like Sohl, who also works as a professor of physics at Weber State University. Weber County averages about 20 to 25 SAR call-outs per year, according to Sohl.

However, not everyone responds to every incident. Weber’s SAR, which typically has between 80 and 100 members, is broken down into various specialty teams based on skills. There is a mounted search team with horses, canine team, ATV team, snowmobile team, high-angle mountain rescue team, underwater recovery team, swift water team, flat water kayak team, backcountry ski team, logistics team, snow cat team and air boat team.

“Most of us are on multiple teams,” Sohl said. “If you think about the fact that our requirement is that you aren’t just simply skilled in your sport, but very skilled in your sport, somebody who really enjoys being outdoors and recreates in the outdoors a lot would usually recreate many ways. So for example, if you’re a snowmobiler, there’s a pretty high chance you’re also going to be an ATVer. In the summer times your snowmobile isn’t so valuable but the ATV is.”

Emotional rescues

Photo credit: Weber County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue

There is a huge range of emotions and rewards that come with the rescues that make different incidents memorable in different ways for different members, Sohl said. While memories of rescues like his first one, where he helped reunite a family, stand out for their positive emotions, not all responses come with the desired outcome.

“I’ve had rescues that were unhappy with body recoveries that were, in one case, a very close friend of mine,” he said. “I was the one to put him into a bag and it was very hard. I’m glad that I was there for him.”

Sohl said the county protects its team by going through psychological training on “how to cope with normal emotional responses to non-normal situations,” such as recovering a drowned child or finding someone who is horribly dismembered. They also participate in a critical incident debrief.

“We have special sessions after that kind of an event to help make sure the people who are involved know there are resources to help,” he said. “The feelings that you’re feeling are expected. You’re not weak because you’re feeling really bad about something. (Maybe) you’re thinking, ‘Boy, the other people on the team don’t seem to be experiencing emotional distress. Why me?’ Actually, they probably are.”

In contrast, some memories are “very, very good,” according to Sohl. He said he has had remarkable experiences over the years, including a time where he was eating out with friends and a server came up to tell him his entire party’s meals had been paid for. The person who paid wanted to stay anonymous, but told the server Sohl helped rescue them years before.

While Sohl said they don’t expect anyone to do something like that, it was a very sweet gesture.

“That kind of a thing is a really special thing that makes you feel good,” he said. “There was someone who was in trouble and they appreciated our help. And I appreciated that they appreciated it.”

Tips for people enjoying the outdoors

Photo credit: Weber County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue

Sohl wanted to make sure people know the SAR team’s services are free, except for in very rare circumstances where a person deliberately caused something that was a danger to other people. He said the vast majority of rescues are normal people doing normal things who simply got in a little over their heads.

“What we don’t want people to do is wait for hours trying desperately to get themselves out when they can just give us a call and we can come help,” he said. “Even if we get there and only stand in the parking lot, and we’re just getting ready to go and you come walking into the parking lot and say, ‘Hey, I’m here, I’m OK,’ we’re good with that. We’re totally good with that.”

“We’re not going to charge people for rescue,” he continued. “We would rather get there quickly when it’s easy than to get there after things have really deteriorated.”

Sohl gave the example of one man who was injured during a hang-gliding accident. He crawled hundreds of yards down a mountainside with a broken back because he didn’t believe SAR members when they told him their services were free. Eventually, he relented.

People planning outdoor activities should also be prepared for more than simply a perfect day, because it doesn’t always stay a perfect day, Sohl said. He recommended bringing a few extra items, like a rain shell, sweater, additional water and granola bars.

“Just bring a few extra things with you to make it so you have a margin of safety that would make your life a little more comfortable either getting out yourself or waiting for us to come get you,” Sohl said.

Those who are interested in learning more about how to become a search and rescue volunteer can contact their county sheriff's office.

Photo credit: Weber County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue

Related topics