Search and Rescue unit to hold garage sale

When hikers or hunters turn up missing, or swimmers or fishermen are lost, we have an organization here in Cathlamet that deals with these problems. It's call The Wahkiakum County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue (WCSO SAR).

This is a dedicated group of civilian volunteers attached to the county Sheriff's office. Deputy Sheriff Bill Tawater and Correction Officer/Dispatcher Vernon Barton head it. They have an active membership of approximately 30 men and women ranging from 16-70-plus years of age.

Members are train first aid, radio communication, map and compass reading and other search and rescue procedures. SAR equipment includes packs, first aid kits, radios, global positioning systems, compasses, tents, weather station, lighting units, heaters, and cooking supplies. Major assets are an Incident Response Vehicle for command and control, a small bus for transportation, and a large cargo trailer for storage and transporting SAR equipment.

Most members have their own personal equipment as well. In addition, there are several dogs to help with searches. Members are assigned specific duties. Some have access to boats for searching waterways. SAR sometimes work along with other search and rescue organizations and the Coast Guard, depending on where they are needed.

Because SAR is a volunteer group, they receive a modest amount of funding through the Sheriff's Office. They also have various fund raising events from time to time. The money is used for additional training and other equipment. One of those events will be a garage sale to be held June 23 at Bank of Pacific in downtown Cathlamet. They are seeking donations of no longer needed, used items to use in the sale. Donations will be gratefully accepted.

Readers interested in donating may contact Arlene Stefan at 360-795-0208 or Esther Roche at 360-795--3066 for details. If you have items that you want to donate, you may contact Lou Nowlin at 360-795-0208 and he will pick up the items.

Monetary donations are also gratefully accepted. Those should be sent to the Wahkiakum County Sheriff's Office, 64 Main Street, P.O. Box 65, Cathlamet, WA, 98612, attention: SAR donations.

Anyone interested in becoming a member may contact Nowlin , any SAR member or the Sheriff's Office for information and an application.