Strapping on Their Boots and Answering the Call for More Than 30 Years

SEELEY LAKE - The Missoula County Sherriff's Office recognized Seeley-Swan Search and Rescue (SSSAR) volunteers Gerry Connell, Pat Caffrey and John Anders for more than 30 years of service with search and rescue at SSSAR's March 15 meeting. SSSAR Coordinator Sgt. Robert Parcell said, "They have been the backbone of the unit(s) and could always be counted upon to assist when called out at all times of the day and night, in all kinds of weather, in all kinds of terrain, when varying types of expertise and experience were required."

John Anders and Pat Caffrey were both founding members of the Missoula County Search and Rescue, Squad Three in March of 1978. Gerry Connell joined Missoula County Search and Rescue in 1981 and was instrumental in establishing SSSAR when it became a separate unit 2010. They all have responded to uncounted search, rescue and recovery calls lending their time, expertise, sweat, blood and tears in the search and rescue function.

Anders has lived in Seeley Lake since he was five years old. He has hunted the area for 52 years and worked for the US Forest Service giving him intimate knowledge of the roads and terrain.

Anders participated in his first search and rescue mission in 1976 when a hunter from Minnesota went missing near Summit Lake. He and his dad used a spotlight and the hunter was able to walk out towards the light. When the group started in 1978 he had no questions about joining since he knew the area, was physically fit and knew the job needed to be done.

Anders recalled being on a few searches where the person wasn't even there. He told the story of a hunter that was staying at the Motor Lodge while he went elk hunting. He told the owners he was hunting on Rice Ridge. When he didn't come back that night, but all his stuff was still in the room, the owners called out SSSAR.

Anders said he went out with Connell and David Wallenburn and put 90 miles on his truck searching all the roads looking for the missing hunter. As it turned out, he had gotten an elk on Boyd Mountain and returned home to process his animal. He never let the motel know what had happened.

"It's about the satisfaction of helping to find people and get them out of trouble, if I can, while they are still alive," said Anders. "It is a service that we need and as long as I can do it without any problems I'm going to keep doing it."

Caffrey moved to Seeley Lake two years before Squad Three formed. He worked as a forester with Plum Creek and wanted to get more involved in the community. He became the Boy Scout Master for the area and joined the Search and Rescue crew.

Caffrey's first search with the group was looking for Pete Rovero during hunting season west of Clearwater Lake. Caffrey said the first place they checked was Liquid Louie's in Condon. When he wasn't there, and those at the bar found out who they were looking for, the bar cleared out and everyone wanted to help search.

Everyone headed out to the point where Rovero was last seen. Because so many of the folks were drunk "it was impossible" to make sense of the tracks in the snow said Caffrey. The group fired a shot to try to get Rovero to respond but heard nothing.

Around 1 a.m. Caffrey recalled driving up to a high point with Anders. Anders fired one more shot with his pistol. This time Rovero answered back with a gunshot. They got everyone lined up and found him within two-thirds of a mile from Anders and Caffrey.

"It was a crazy crew we had to work with," said Caffrey. "First you don't use alcohol during a search and you don't wander around the point last seen. We found out Rovero was answering the call of nature when we fired the first shot and couldn't find his gun in the dark to respond. The second time he had found his gun and was actually able to answer."

Caffrey said triangulating on a gunshot has been a very effective method of locating hunters over the years. Searchers were positioned at high points and a shot was fired into the air. When the lost person responded with a gunshot, they took an azimuth of the shot and headed in that direction. Now with all the radar and night vision on helicopters, he said the process is much more efficient.

"There are three outcomes. We can look for someone and find them. We can look for someone and not find them. Or we can look for someone who we think is dead and recover them. All three things are important to the community and especially the families."

Caffrey continued, "I'm doing it because I can. The guys used to have trouble keeping up with me and now I'm trying to keep up with them. I can offer a lot of experience and knowledge and I enjoy helping train the new guys."

Connell joined the group after local Sheriff Lloyd Halgren asked him if he would be interested. He attended a couple of meetings and decided, "If there is someone up there that needs help, I'm glad to do it."

One of the most memorable searches Connell participated in was in the mid 1980s when the group was called out to High Park Lake in the Mission Mountains. A hiker had slipped and broken his ankle. Connell and Cindy Lewis were air lifted via helicopter part of the way in and hiked in the rest of the way. They stabilized the hiker and spent the night with him before air lifting him out in the morning.

"This was one of my first major searches and it turned out really well," said Connell.

Connell has been the chief of the SSSAR since it split from Missoula in 2010. He said he continues to do it because of the intrigue and because he has the knowledge and ability to help.

"It is the ultimate hunt trying to find someone. You have to succeed so you keep right on going," said Connell. "We don't want anyone to get lost or hurt but when the bell does ring we strap on our boots and go."

"These feats alone would well be worth recognizing, let alone the expertise, experience and perseverance all three members have displayed during this time period," said Sgt. Parcell. "The recognition was long overdue. John Anders, Pat Caffrey, and Gerry Connell have persevered for a much longer time than anyone else in the unit(s). The amount of time they have been in SAR is really amazing and will be hard for others to equal."

Sgt. Parcell added that all three have been essential to the success of a myriad of search and rescue missions and come very close to being indispensable to the unit as a whole.

Sgt. Parcell said, "The Sheriff's Office is very proud to have them as long-standing SAR members and believes they are fine examples of how citizens make a real difference in their communities."

Connell encourages anyone who is interested in joining SSSAR to call him, 210-1150. They are always looking for new members.