Almost two years after their formation, the Grays Harbor Volunteer Search and Rescue is now officially a non-profit 501c3 recognized by the IRS. Current president, Sara Owen tells us “We were so excited to get that determination letter from the IRS. It means we’ll be able to fundraise, and ask companies for donations for gear and equipment and so many things that we really need.” The all-volunteer group consists of about 75 first responders, police, and community members throughout the county.A 9-member crew from the group rescued a woman with a leg injury that had hiked 9 miles into the Olympic National Park over the Memorial day weekend. She had to be transported about seven miles on a one-wheeled stretcher.Owen recounted “I can’t even describe the level of difficulty that it took for those people to bring her out in a stokes basket. These people are incredibly dedicated individuals who train really hard and really take it seriously. I couldn’t be more proud to be associated with this group.”
The GHVSAR team will elect new leadership at their regular meeting tonight. Owen said they are always looking for new volunteers from first responders to loud-mouthed radio personalities, for details visit www.ghvsar.org
