Rescue unit celebrates 50 years of saving lives
The Imperial County DeAnza Rescue Unit is celebrating 50 years of saving hundreds of lives. The group is made up of volunteers who go wherever they’re needed.
Ramon Barron, volunteer, said they ” Help search for people that get lost in the desert, in the cities, in the water, in the mountains, all over the place, all over the imperial valley. We went into Mexico a lot of times. ”
Jeff Green, DeAnza Rescue Unit President, said lack of water can be deadly for people getting lost outdoors, especially during holidays, such as Memorial Day Weekend.
” A lot of the people that come here, or even the natives here, fail to take enough water with them. And so, a vehicle breaks down or something along that line where they can’t travel, and they run out of water and that’s when dehydration takes over, ” Green said.
Tim Hamilton, DeAnza Rescue Unit Vice-President, said, ” Always let somebody know where you’re at or where you’re going to be at. Always take plenty of water. And a GPS is a must these days. ”
He said to rescue somebody is a joy they can hardly be described, and to lose someone is a terrible loss.
” It’s very frustrating. It has happened several times. We have found a body instead of a person that survived, ” Hamilton said.
They work under the call of the Sheriff’s Office during emergencies.
Sheriff Raymond Loera applauded their efforts and said, ” The Imperial County and its residents are very lucky to have a group of people; they’re doing this on their own time. They have most of their own equipment to go out and do this work. ”
The DeAnza Rescue Unit said they wanted to share what it’s like to save somebody. They said volunteers are always welcome. They can be contacted on Facebook.
