Living with Search and Rescue

Search and Rescue can be tough, especially after a flood, hurricane or tornado. Rough terrain, debris, sink holes, tangles of barbed wire, heat and fire ants have taken their toll on the teams looking for the two men who went missing last Wednesday after the severe flooding here in Central Texas.

Tougher, though, is learning to structure your life in a way that the Search and Rescue doesn't take over your life. While the first few days are consumed by the rescue effort, the following days have to be balanced. The dogs need to be rested, and because the Searchers are primarily volunteers, we have the usual responsibilities to family, work and the other daily duties that must be attended. It's hard to keep your mind on your work, when the wheels keep churning around the missing person, the lay of the land, where you haven't searched, where you should search next.

For now, the search continues from Ranch Road 1431 and Lake Travis. The dogs have alerted to a large brush pile in an area near Hickory Creek, which flows into Lake Travis. Meanwhile, we're trying to preserve the lives we live every day while trying to preserve two lives that otherwise may be lost forever.