{"id":37619,"date":"2022-10-28T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-28T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/in-rugged-san-juan-county-more-women-than-men-involved-with-search-and-rescue\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T02:38:55","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T08:38:55","slug":"in-rugged-san-juan-county-more-women-than-men-involved-with-search-and-rescue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/in-rugged-san-juan-county-more-women-than-men-involved-with-search-and-rescue\/","title":{"rendered":"In rugged San Juan County, more women than men involved with search and rescue"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Erin
Erin Laine, left, and Melissa Flynn, both with San Juan County Search and Rescue in Silverton, look through some of the equipment they use on rescue missions in Silverton on Oct 17. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

SILVERTON \u2013 Search and rescue is a demanding job that routinely tests rescuers\u2019 physical endurance and mental fortitude. The field, mostly dominated by men, isn\u2019t always the most welcoming environment for women. But the women who volunteer at San Juan County Search and Rescue find it is among the most rewarding experiences they\u2019ve ever had.<\/p>\n

Silverton Medical Rescue combines its EMS and San Juan County Search and Rescue teams. The hybrid team consists of 34 volunteer and a dozen full-time or part-time staff members. The ratio between men and women is nearly evenly split, said Tyler George, director of Silverton Medical Rescue and San Juan Search and Rescue team leader.<\/p>\n

He said almost 75% of the team\u2019s rescuers who respond to search and rescue calls in San Juan County are women. He has been around search and rescue in various capacities for a long time \u2013 his uncle was \u201cthe first paramedic in Silverton\u201d and his father worked in EMS and search and rescue. But he hadn\u2019t served on a team so evenly split between men and women until now.<\/p>\n

\"Hannah
Hannah Green, a professional endurance athlete and member of San Juan County Search and Rescue, FaceTimes into an interview with The Durango Herald in Silverton on Oct 17. Green was celebrated by her colleagues for her endurance and skills in quickly navigating unforgiving terrain among the San Juan Mountains. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Melissa Flynn, who joined San Juan County Search and Rescue in 2020, said it feels \u201cgreat\u201d to be a woman on the team because she isn\u2019t treated differently than any of her colleagues.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody, all of us, make sure that we\u2019re just as capable as the others,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s felt really good to be treated with respect and equality. You don\u2019t always get that everywhere you go, especially as a female in the EMS world or the search and rescue world.\u201d<\/p>\n

She is also studying nursing and said helping people has always been a goal of hers.<\/p>\n

Hannah Green, who is a professional endurance athlete and joined San Juan Search and Rescue last year, said it helps that everyone in Silverton is so welcoming and willing to check in on rescuers to make sure rescuers are doing OK.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s both the beauty of our team and our community,\u201d she said. \u201c\u2026 I feel like that\u2019s very rewarding to have so many strong females.\u201d<\/p>\n

Strength, regardless of one\u2019s sex or gender, is vital to being a successful rescuer in the San Juans. Strength and determination, George said. The mountains that cocoon the town of Silverton are stunning, but they are also perilous.<\/p>\n

The gnarliest terrain in San Juan County<\/div>\n

\"Some
Some of the calls that San Juan County Search and Rescue have gone on are marked on a map in an office Oct. 17 in Silverton. The most common calls are ATV rollovers and accidents, but calls for service can range from crashes to medical emergencies, missing persons and avalanches. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The Weminuche Wilderness, probably the most difficult and hard to access terrain in San Juan County Search and Rescue\u2019s service area, is full of \u201csteep, rocky peaks and chossy, loose rock,\u201d Flynn said.<\/p>\n

Access trails leading to the base of peaks in the Weminuche Wilderness are 10 to 20 miles long and full of elevation gains and losses, she said. Getting to the base of a peak just to survey a situation could take an entire day.<\/p>\n

Accessing the Weminuche Wilderness is easier when a helicopter is available for an airlift, but that\u2019s not always the case \u2013 the weather changes every 10 minutes, George said. Sometimes, rescuers have to go in on foot with ropes and climbing gear to navigate the gnarliest terrain in San Juan County, Flynn said.<\/p>\n

Erin Laine, a professional mountaineer guide San Juan County Search and Rescue member since 2020, said the ruggedness and remoteness of the mountains are why she lives in Silverton. But although the mountains often feel friendly, they can quickly become intimidating based on the mission at hand.<\/p>\n

\"From
From left, Tyler George, director of Silverton Medical Rescue and team leader with San Juan County Search and Rescue; Erin Laine and Melissa Flynn, both with San Juan County Search and Rescue; and DeAnne Gallegos, San Juan County spokeswoman, in Silverton on Oct 17. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cAll of a sudden, a place that felt so friendly and beautiful and challenging can feel really big and scary and rugged and hard,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

ATV rollovers are the most common incidents rescuers respond to, Flynn said. They frequently occur on the sides of roads, but with hundreds of miles of isolated roads within San Juan County Search and Rescue\u2019s service area, even common calls can require a lot of time and effort to respond.<\/p>\n

Rescuers respond to any reported rollover on U.S. Highway 550 or any car or vehicle crash between Purgatory Resort and Red Mountain Pass, George said.<\/p>\n

Other calls involve lost or injured hikers, snowmobile accidents, medical emergencies such as broken insulin pumps, and, most dangerous, avalanches, he said. He has noticed that isolated lower leg injuries have become more common in recent years for hikers and overnight campers, particularly in summertime.<\/p>\n

Guilt, grieving and self care<\/div>\n

\"Melissa
Melissa Flynn, left, and Erin Laine, both with San Juan County Search and Rescue in Silverton, look through some of the equipment they use on rescues in Silverton on Oct 17. Flynn is enrolled in nursing school and Laine doubles as a professional mountaineer guide. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Flynn, Green and Laine were all attracted to search and rescue work because of their adoration for mountain life and outdoor recreation. But like the mountains themselves, the line of duty is etched in peaks and valleys.<\/p>\n

Search and rescue missions for missing persons aren\u2019t always successful. And team members never forget an incident, Flynn said.<\/p>\n

When thunderstorms, hail and forecasts of flash floods impeded the search for 22-year-old Daniel Lamthach of Salt Lake City, who went missing in the area of Molas Lake on July 17 after embarking on a day hike, the three women pressed forward in their search for him despite the growing danger, said DeAnne Gallegos, spokeswoman for San Juan County.<\/p>\n

The emergency management office announced in early August that San Juan County Search & Rescue called off its search for Lamthach because of the treacherous weather conditions. He has yet to be found, but he is also not forgotten.<\/p>\n

Flynn said she and the others still talk about Lamthach and other unresolved cases. They bounce ideas off each other, wondering where he could have gone.<\/p>\n

\"Radios
Radios used by San Juan County Search and Rescue sit ready for the next call. Tyler George, director of Silverton Medical Rescue and team leader for San Juan Search and Rescue, said people need to do their research and ensure they bring proper equipment for a trip into the wilderness. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cOf course it\u2019s heavy and hard,\u201d Laine said. \u201cYou can only imagine what everyone involved must be feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laine\u2019s first rule of wilderness medicine is \u201cdo the best you can with what you have.\u201d She said that has become her mantra.<\/p>\n

Green said she has been on missions where she felt overwhelmed with all the possibilities of what could have happened to their missing person.<\/p>\n

It isn\u2019t easy to let go of unsuccessful searches, Flynn said. Sometimes she carries guilt because she couldn\u2019t find someone. But San Juan County Search and Rescue offers strong support services to help members find closure.<\/p>\n

George said many EMS people, including his team, adopt the mantra, \u201cIt\u2019s not your accent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re there to do good. You\u2019re there to do anything you can, everything you\u2019ve been trained to do. To use any skills that you have,\u201d he said. \u201c\u2026 We\u2019ve got the highest contiguous mountains in the lower forty-eight states. They\u2019re wild and rough. You just have to remember that you\u2019re there to help. You can only help so much, and at the end of the day it\u2019s not your fault.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laine said search and rescue has provided some of the most rewarding experiences and hardest times of her life. Having support structures in place is key to coping with the tribulations of mountain missions. For her, that means having supportive friends and an understanding therapist who knows what she needs to grieve after a tough call.<\/p>\n

\"Melissa
Melissa Flynn, center, during the search for missing 22-year-old Daniel Lamthach in July. (Courtesy San Juan County Search and Rescue)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Awareness of one\u2019s own limitations is also necessary, she said. There are times when a team member isn\u2019t ready for field work and it\u2019s important for everyone to understand that.<\/p>\n

Green said her first mission taught her the importance of checking in with herself and her friends. She said finding a missing person alive is rewarding and is a much happier ending, but every incident is equally important.<\/p>\n

San Juan County Search and Rescue pays for a variety of resources for its team, including stress-related injury courses and free therapy sessions.<\/p>\n

Success and rewards<\/div>\n

Difficult missions, both through physical demands and disappointing conclusions, take their toll on rescuers. But there is plenty to appreciate about the work. Flynn said whether they keep someone safe, bring someone back alive, or recover a body to bring home to a family, there are rewards in all aspects of search and rescue.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if it doesn\u2019t necessarily have the outcome that we would like, I think just knowing that we gave all of what we had to try and help somebody is the reward of this job,\u201d she said. \u201cIt is cool when you\u2019re able to use all of these skills that you train for. So when you have a mission, does that involve the rope work or the train and the helicopter? \u2026 It\u2019s cool to see everything come together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Flynn said she finds joy in being someone\u2019s \u201cshining light\u201d in their darkest hour. She said she has a \u201cfairly bright energy\u201d around people and likes caring for others, so search and rescue complements her nursing studies because it pairs her outdoor skills and fitness with her nurturing side.<\/p>\n

Laine said she built much of her mountaineering skill set through the \u201cselfish\u201d pursuit of personal fulfillment, but she finds the opportunity to put her skills to use helping others rewarding.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe someone goes home to their family who wouldn\u2019t have,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

George said he has been on the receiving end of search and rescue missions and he appreciates that there are people willing to volunteer their time to help people lost in the wilderness. And the camaraderie that develops among team members is one of the best feelings.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you finally get done with a real difficult call or some of these really hard ones where you have multiple fatalities, I find that it (camaraderie) just brings everybody closer together,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

cburney@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"Some
Some of the calls that San Juan County Search and Rescue have gone on are marked on a map in an office on in Silverton. (Jerry McBride\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Hannah
Hannah Green, left, and Melissa Flynn rest during the search for 22-year-old Daniel Lamthach, who went missing in the Molas Lake area on July 17. The rescuers spent four days in the San Juan wilderness looking for Lamthach, said DeAnne Gallegos, spokeswoman for San Juan County. (Courtesy San Juan County Search and Rescue)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Melissa
Melissa Flynn, far right, with wildland firefighters during the search for 22-year-old Daniel Lamthach in the Molas Lake area in July. (Courtesy San Juan County Search and Rescue)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u2018All of a sudden, a place that felt so friendly and beautiful and challenging can feel really big and scary\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37620,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[364,28,1310,1562,1309],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-37619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-community","tag-headlines","tag-safety-of-citizens","tag-san-juan-county-colorado","tag-san-juan-mountains"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37619","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37619"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37619\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83720,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37619\/revisions\/83720"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37620"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37619"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=37619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}