This interesting retrospective story was posted today about a woman who nearly died in the San Gabriel Mountains 25 years ago, and became a lifetime SAR volunteer as a result.

The story of her ordeal is very detailed, and is at the link below.

Two highlights:

• She and a boy spent two nights in snow near Mount Baldy, before their rescue by the Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team, and both lost digits to frostbite.
• "Early on Saturday, a helicopter made several passes over the spot where the two hikers stayed put. They flashed a signal with the mirror ... Hours passed, nothing came but despair."

Here's the story link: Rescued after nearly dying in the San Ga... helping others
Backup link: (Archived link if the primary goes offline)

An even more detailed account of Cindy's ordeal and subsequent SAR career was the topic of this LA Times story in 2000: Life and Death on Mount Baldy (5pp) ( Archive link for link at left )

Here's a 1991 account of her rescue: Volunteers in Rescue Effort Rejoice After Locating Duo ( Archive link for link at left )

A 2015 story about Cindy's work with Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Search and Rescue Team is here, including a formal portrait. LASD Search & Rescue Climb Highest Oregon Mountain (page refused to be archived)

A thoughtful tale, indeed. A fair number of SAR volunteers have been drawn into the field by their prior rescues and have repaid their debt, if any, many times over. Most poignant in my memory is that of the father of a deceased Boy Scout who joined, volunteered for many years, and was renowned for his relentless determination to carry on with searches, never giving up hope.