New Jersey Search and Rescue

NJSAR Recent Searches

February 13, 2008		Members of NJSAR's K9 team were called in on a Missing Person search located in North Plainfield, NJ at the request of Central Jersey Technical Rescue to assist No. Plainfield PD in a search for a missing No. Plainfield woman. Other teams responding were West Jersey K9 and MARSAR as well as members from the No. Plainfield FD and Police Detectives, NJ State Police Missing Persons was also involved. All teams endured a day of pouring rain, wet snow and searched an area in excess of 50 acres near and around the subject's home. The search turned up no clues and she remains missing. For more information about this person go to: www.judyengelmann.com
January 7, 2008		NJSAR was requested at 1730 to standby for an ongoing search in Mahwah, New Jersey, for two adults and four juveniles who got lost while hiking that afternoon. We were advised at that time that local law enforcement was in cell phone contact with the group. NJSAR was advised at 1830 that the group had been located.
December 9, 2007		NJSAR was requested at 0220 on Sunday December 9, 2007 to respond at 0600 to assist in a search for a missing hunter in Hardyston Township, Sussex County. The hunter had been out since 0600 on Sat. 12/8/07. The search had started at 2200 on Sat. About 30 minutes later we were notified that the subject had been located and we did not need to respond. The Sussex County Sheriff's office was the Incident Commander.
November 24, 2007		NJSAR received a request to assist in a search for a 70 year old female with Alzheimer's disease from the Allendale Police Dept. on Nov. 24, 2007 at about 1615 hours. The woman had been at a High School football game and had wandered off. NJSAR responded and upon arrival was advised that the local authorities had found the woman a short while before we arrived. She had walked about one mile along a main street before she was located.
October 20, 2007 October 18, 2007 October 16, 2007 October 15, 2007 October 14, 2007		NJSAR assisted in a search in the southern portions of the New Jersey section of Palisades Interstate Park. Other agencies involved were the Bergen County Sheriff's Dept., Englewood Cliffs Police Dept., Cliffside Park Police Dept., Palisades Interstate Park Police and the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office.
September 25, 2007		On September 25, 2007 about 12:30 pm NJSAR was requested to respond to Ringwood NJ to assist in a search for a 25 yr. old male who had left his home and told his mother that he was going to commit suicide. Other agencies involved included Passaic County Sheriff's Mounted Unit with 3 horses, Ringwood Police Dept. and Wanaque Police Dept and Passaic County Sheriff's K-9 unit. NJSAR had about 12 members on scene including 2 K-9 team members. The subject was located alive and well a little over a mile from home by Wanaque Police in the area of Stephens Lake. Because of concern over the man being a danger, the town initiated a reverse 9-1-1 call to residents that school children would be kept at the schools and would need to be picked up at the schools.
August 27,2007		On Aug. 27, 2007, NJSAR was requested to conduct a search on Tuesday Aug. 28, 2007 for a woman who had been missing for over a week. She had left her home over a week earlier without her purse or cell phone and had not been heard from. The case had received wide publicity after her husband tried to commit suicide by going in front of a moving vehicle. NJSAR chief met with Emerson PD on Monday and officers from NJSAR met Monday evening to prepare a plan for the search. At 0730 Tuesday a crew of SAR people from NJSAR and from Ramapo Rescue Dog Association, West Jersey K-9, Palisades SAR Dog Association, New York Search and Rescue met at the Emerson Jr.-Sr. High School. Emerson Police accepted the plan drawn by NJSAR, which included 18 search segments. The plan called for each segment to be cleared first by a trained search dog and after that by a grid team looking for clues. The Bergen County Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) consisting of police officers from various Bergen County towns was there with 60 members. The Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) from Emerson, River Vale and United Water Company also participated in the grid teams. The Emerson Volunteer Fire Dept and Ambulance Corps also assisted. Teaneck Fire Dept. Box 54 Canteen unit served breakfast to the searchers. A large number of police officers, who were off duty, volunteered their time and assisted on some of the grid teams. The search continued until approx. 2015 in the evening. The search received intense coverage from major TV networks. ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and CNN as well as Cablevision NEWS 12 all covered the search and had representatives at the staging area at Emerson High School. The victim remains missing and no clues have been found. Emerson Police Dept. is continuing to interview friends and family members in hopes of getting a lead on where to move with the investigation.
August 13, 2007		At 0244 on Aug. 13, 2007 a request for assistance on a search in Bernards Township (Somerset County NJ) was received by NJSAR. Central Jersey Technical Search and Rescue (www.cjtsar.org) was on scene and had requested more searchers through Bernards Twp Police Chief. The missing woman had taken her dog for a walk the prior evening and the dog had returned home without her. At about 1922 hours Sunday the local authorities started a search. Central Jersey Technical Rescue was requested around midnight. NJSAR responded with 8 searchers including one Capt and two Lt.'s. At about 0823 Sue Lavoie and her Search Dog "Jerry" together with Lt. Peter Bremy located the missing woman lying on her back in a wet area at the edge of a swamp less than a half mile from her home. She had responded when they called her name. She was transported by ambulance to a local hospital where she was treated for hypothermia and was released a few days later. Both the Bernards Twp. Police and the missing woman sent very nice letters thanking NJSAR for the rescue. (Star-Ledger Article)
July 7, 2007		NJSAR was requested on July 7, 2007 at 1500 hours by the Ringwood Police Department for a 46-year old male who was suicidal. The individual was located alive at approximately 1715 hours and taken to a hospital.
June 23, 2007		NJSAR was requested on June 23, 2007 at 2118 hours by the Ringwood Police Department for a hiker missing in Ringwood State Park. He had gone into the woods to look for his niece who he believed was lost. She in fact returned shortly after he went to look for her at about 1930 hours. Search was commenced by NJSAR at 2202 hours. West Milford Search and Rescue also responded. NJSAR had 18 members participate in the search. NJ State Park Police and Ringwood PD acted as Unified Command. NJ Forest Fire Service also assisted in the search with 4 wheel drive vehicles. Ringwood Ambulance Corps stood by at the search and checked the hiker when he was located. The individual was located on a woods road at approx. 0100 hours on June 24, 2007 in good condition.
June 21, 2007		NJSAR was requested by NJ State Park Police for a search for a missing hiker in Stokes State Forest at 0557 hours on June 21, 2007 who had been out all night. Response was cancelled at 0722 hours when Park Police reported that he had walked out to a parking lot where they found him.
April 19, 2007		At approximately 1700 on April 19, 2007 NJSAR received a request from the Search and Rescue Council of New Jersey for assistance on a search for a 14-year old male who was believed to have runaway the prior evening. The request was for search dogs only. Three members responded with trained search dogs. One member responded to assist with managing the search. Local authorities suspended the search for the night at 2200 hours and will resume search operations at 0900 hours on April 20, 2007. The 14 year old returned home on the morning of April 20, 2007.
March 6, 2007		On Mar 6, 2007 at approximately 0600 hours NJSAR received a request from Somerset County Emergency Management to respond to Franklin Township for a missing 74 year old man who was last seen shortly after midnight. Search efforts located his bedroom slippers on a trail leading to a pond. There was a hole in the ice and divers located his body in the pond at about 1045 hours. (Star-Ledger article)
February 26, 2007		At approximately 2000 hours on Feb 26, 2007 NJSAR received a request from a SAR team in Pennsylvania to respond to Butler PA for a search for a man who had last been seen early Sunday morning leaving a tavern. The request was relayed through the Search and Rescue Council of New Jersey. In trying to verify the request, the local law enforcement agency could not confirm that NJSAR was requested by them. Therefore, NJSAR was not dispatched.
February 21, 2007		On the afternoon of Feb 21, 2007 NJSAR received a request through the Search and Rescue Council of New Jersey to respond with K-9 resources to Plainfield NJ for a missing young man who had mental disabilities. While NJSAR K-9 resources were enroute, we were cancelled as the missing person had been located at the Port Authority Bus Terminal In NYC.
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