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Search & Rescue Activations
By Ventura County Sheriff Department — Tuesday, February 1st, 2011
 Ventura County Sheriff's Department The end of January 2011 proved to be busy time for the Ventura County Sheriff’s volunteer Search and Rescue teams (SAR). Starting on Thursday, 1-27-2011, Harvey Cannaday (61 years) walked away from his care home facility in the City of Ojai and didn’t return. Cannaday suffers from several medical conditions and requires almost constant supplemental oxygen. The Ojai Police Department was notified of his disappearance and immediately began searching the area. As darkness fell, the seriousness of Mr. Cannaday’s condition became more urgent, so the police department requested the Search and Rescue teams to assist in the search. Three (3) specially trained SAR K-9 teams, which included a bloodhound, responded and searched the immediate area surrounding the care facility without success. An additional twenty-five (25) Upper Ojai Search and Rescue volunteers were activated and responded along with five (5) members of the Ojai Volunteers in Policing and began scouring the city looking for Mr. Cannaday. After searching all across the city until the early morning hours on Friday, Mr. Cannaday was finally located riding a Gold Coast public transport bus in Ventura. Mr. Cannaday was immediately transported to the Ojai Valley Hospital for medical care where he is now reportedly doing well. On Saturday night, 1-29-2011, a family of four went hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains near Sand Stone Peak and became disoriented when darkness fell and fog moved into on the area. The family had gone to watch the sunset from Sand Stone Peak, the highest point in the Santa Monica Mountains, and neglected to take a flashlight. The father was able to use his cellular telephone to call Sheriff Dispatch and request assistance. The East Valley SAR Team responded with fourteen (14) team members and hiked in to the area and located the family. The family was then safely escorted back down the trail to their vehicle. Early the next morning on Sunday, 1-30-2011, a vehicle was reported to be over the side of Pacific Coast Highway, in the rocks, and being pounded by the surf. The Fire Department quickly responded and discovered the vehicle demolished, partially floating in the surf. The Fire Department was able to search the interior of the car but discovered it to be empty. Attempts to locate the registered owner of the vehicle proved unsuccessful. Fearing that the driver may have been washed out of the car and into the ocean, the Sheriff’s Department’s volunteer SAR Dive Team was requested to search for a potential body. Eight (8) divers responded and searched the ocean floor with SCUBA gear, in the area where the vehicle entered the water, but were unable to find any evidence of a missing person. During this time the CHP learned the vehicle had been reported stolen, which was likely the reason for the driver leaving the area prior to emergency crews arriving on scene. A combined total of nearly 300 man-hours were devoted to these search efforts throughout the county over the past several days. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department is extremely proud and grateful for the efforts of these dedicated volunteer professionals who respond day and night whether the call is in a city, on a mountain top, or underwater. Location(s): City of Ojai, CA Date & Time: January 27, 2011 / 6:00 pm Unit(s) Responsible: Sheriffs Departments Search and Rescue Volunteers Officer Preparing Release: Follow-up Contact: Approved by: |
