Search and Rescue Team Needs More Members to Help Save Lives

The Malibu Search and Rescue Team needs more members to help hoist hikers to safety, pull motorists from ravines and other dangerous tasks it is called to perform.

“We need adventurous citizens that want to make a difference somewhere, and I know they’re out there," team captain Mark Campbell told The Acorn in a recent interview.

To make the team, candidates, who need to be at least 21 years old, must be willing to become a reserve deputy sheriffs and emergency medical technician, according to the newspaper. To become a reserve deputy sheriff, the person must attend the LASD academy part time for a minimum of six months

Malibu SAR, which is part of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, is made up of volunteers who perform rescues mostly in the Santa Monica Mountains.

The team is on track for a record-breaking year already with 90 calls as of Friday. 

David Katz, the group's public information officer and a lawyer, said the team is one of the busiest in the state.

“We are looking for people who don’t mind waking up at 2 a.m. to rappel 600 feet over the side of a canyon to help a victim of a car accident, or relish the thought of going out of a helicopter from 100 feet off the ground on a Saturday afternoon to rescue an injured hiker,” Katz told The Acorn.

To learn more about the team, visit www.malibusar.org.