The Everyday Heroes Behind Santa Barbara’s Most Dangerous Wilderness Rescues

A hiker in Santa Barbara’s wilderness hasn’t returned home, a biker crashes off the trail, a runner collapses from dehydration, or a brush fire traps a group. The 911 call can come at any time – during the dead of night, family BBQ, or while unloading groceries in the driveway.

When these emergencies unfold in Santa Barbara County’s backcountry, it’s the highly trained, dedicated volunteers from Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue (SBCSAR), that respond at any hour or condition.

“When someone’s lost or stranded, it’s us who answers the call – just us, nobody else. We’re volunteers, not paid professionals, but we have the experience and the equipment to get the job done,” says Jennifer Beyer, a member of the search and rescue team.

Operating entirely on donations, these volunteers – teachers, nurses, contractors, retirees, professionals, educators, engineers, and former law enforcement – fill an urgent need in the county’s emergency services. 

Under the direction of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, SBCSAR handles specialized rescue missions and wildfire evacuations that require cliff or swiftwater rescues, avalanche responses, and medical aid. They are equipped with off-road vehicles, mountain bikes, rope systems, stretchers, and drones. The team also manages specialized vehicles and assists with helicopter operations.

Their capabilities extend beyond traditional search and rescue. They act as incident commanders, coordinating emergency responses across agencies. Additionally, they support Project Lifesaver, helping locate individuals with cognitive disorders who go missing.

To maintain this level of readiness, the team dedicates over 10,000 hours annually to rigorous training. Volunteers master a wide range of technical skills, from complex rope systems to advanced medical response to wilderness tracking, ensuring they are fully prepared for any life-saving scenario.

“We’re like a specialized extension of the Sheriff’s Department – just not paid,” says a veteran team member. “We have the training, skills, and equipment to get the job done that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the county.”

In 2023, the team responded to 95 calls, dedicating over 2,000 hours to search and rescue efforts that aided 83 individuals. The team’s effectiveness stems from extensive training, specialized equipment, and a coordinated approach.

When a call comes in it initiates a well-organized operation, the team says. Rapid response units conduct initial searches, while other members plan more extensive actions, considering various scenarios if initial efforts don’t succeed. The process relies on careful coordination among team members, resources, and partner organizations.

The volunteers have seen it all, from reviving a person found face down in a muddy field to guiding stranded hikers safely off precarious ledges. “We found the person face down in the mud and brought him to the ambulance,” Beyer says. “We saved this gentleman’s life, and that is extremely rewarding.”

It’s the quiet moments – reuniting a lost person with their family, hearing a simple “thank you” – that underlines the importance of their work. These moments remind the volunteers why they do what they do, bringing them back time and again, ready for whatever comes next.