Did you know that every day an average of 136 people go missing in the United States? In many cases, people with the expertise and equipment to locate lost persons are not available. To help fill this need and show Christ’s love to the distressed, CAM launched Search and Rescue (SAR) as a branch of our Rapid Response Services.
Since the program started in June 2016, our SAR teams have helped local authorities with a total of 25 searches. Here are a few:
July 6
- Search for a 32-year-old man who fell from a boat on the Ohio River around midnight.
- Body recovered the next afternoon by our Ohio team, using their boat SONAR device.
May 23-24
- Two-day search for a 25-year-old female whose kayak was pulled over a dam.
- Family members were praying on the riverbank for people to come help search for the body.
March 25
- Man in his fifties who fell more than 20 feet while hiking to a waterfall.
- Our Arkansas team carried him to safety through difficult and steep terrain.
February 7
- Legally blind woman who was missing for 24 hours.
- Found in good health in the woods behind her house by Arkansas team members.
To be effective in their searches, our teams need good equipment and training. Each of the four SAR teams has a command trailer, communications system, topography software, a rescue boat, and a SONAR device. (Teams are required to locally raise some funds for the equipment costs.) Each SAR team member is also required to take training conducted by an experienced search and rescue commander.
A missing loved one brings a tremendous amount of distress to family members. Helping to search for lost and missing persons gives us an opportunity to minister Christ’s compassion and love right here in our homeland.
To help with the operation costs of this program, please click below to give a one-time gift or start a monthly sponsorship.