Volunteers in Homer are building Kachemak Bay State Park’s first organized response procedure.
Last summer, a long distance hiker went missing in Kachemak Bay State Park.
Part of the trail had washed out, leaving her stranded without a clear way forward.
“She didn’t get the memo that the middle part of the trail she was on was non-existent ... and that’s how she got lost,” O’Hara said.
That’s Alison O’Hara, who runs a local water taxi and sits on the nonprofit board for Friends of Kachemak Bay State Park. She said it took search teams three days to get organized and find the missing hiker, who was uninjured and had made it to Kachemak Bay Wilderness Lodge.
"Things could go south pretty quickly over there, like if the weather had been a lot worse, and the person got hypothermic or if someone had an injury. … I think we could have cut that time down probably to eight hours instead of three days, having had this plan,” O’Hara said.
O’Hara said it revealed that there was no search and rescue plan in place. So last fall, she started working on building a local search and rescue team through her nonprofit, which supports stewardship and trail maintenance in the area.
Now, experts working with O’Hara’s group will train community volunteers to respond quickly when someone goes missing. The first step in a search is called a hasty search, to cover ground quickly and locate the person before conditions worsen.
The initial training also covers how to coordinate with law enforcement and work safely in the park’s rugged backcountry. O’Hara said volunteers don’t need prior search and rescue experience but should be ready to respond on short notice.
The group is also working with local water taxi companies to prevent emergencies before they happen. O’Hara said trail reports and basic trip planning can help visitors avoid getting lost in the first place.
“We’re in a special situation here where most people who aren’t familiar with the area are taking water taxis. So we can actually educate them and have the problem not be a problem before they even get on board,” O’Hara said.
The first of three Zoom sessions covering rescue basics began Monday. O’Hara said more training opportunities will be available in the future.
More information can be found on the Friends of Kachemak Bay State Parks Facebook page.
