By admin 
FLAGSTAFF, AZ (AZFamily) — Search and rescue teams in the High Country are seeing an uptick in calls as more people are spending time outdoors this summer.
Read more ‘Very violent act’: Accused shoplifter at Walmart shot, killed after opening fire at officers
Sam Lehman, assistant search and rescue coordinator for Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, said this time of year can stretch resources thin, not only because of the volume of calls but also the vastness of the county.
When someone is hurt or lost and can’t get home, the Coconino County sheriff’s search and rescue team is the one who gets the call.
“We see everything from canyoning accidents, climbing accidents, water-related accidents, heat related accidents,” Lehman said.
He said this time of year is especially busy. Last week, they had at least one call every day. Lehman said most of them were preventable.
“Those missions were typically, I would say on average, handled in six to eight hours,” he said. “So the coordinators and the volunteers weren’t getting home until the following day when the sun was up.”
One of the challenges for these rescues is the vastness of Coconino County, which is more than 18,600 square miles.
“Because if we have multiple missions going on, say on the North Rim or Sedona or two polar opposite sides of the county, that can stretch our resources,” Lehman said.
Read more Traffickers sentenced as Arizona AG sounds alarm on carfentanil
So the team makes sure they’re prepared. They have a wide array of vehicles to handle all kinds of terrain. They also use everything from ropes to drones.
Lehman said they’re always prepared because often the people they’re rescuing aren’t.
“A high portion would have been preventable if they had a good game plan and proper supplies,” he said.
He added that knowing your limits and terrain, bringing enough water, and having a way to contact people in an emergency are key to making sure you don’t call his team.
“The biggest thing is to be prepared,” Lehman said.
He also suggested telling someone where you’re going and when you’ll be back. That way, if you don’t return on time, they know where you went and how long you’ve been out there.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Read more Distemper outbreak at Pima Animal Care Center halts adoptions