Three members of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Malibu Search and Rescue (SAR) Team were recognized for their efforts with Awards for Conspicuous Heroism by the Mountain Rescue Association (MRA) — a renowned mountain rescue-certifying organization in the United States.
Attorneys David Katz and Jack Garden, and physician Thad Woodward were part of the 30-member, nine-hour rescue operation in early 2014 where four hikers were rescued from treacherous conditions in Malibu.
“It’s humbling to be recognized by the top agency in the country for mountain rescue and to have our names alongside other people who have risked their lives around the country, particularly because we do it in the capacity of volunteers,” SAR Captain David Katz said. “It’s really a nice recognition for a rescue that really stands out in our minds as being one of the most treacherous rescues we’ve had in a long time.”
The three men recognized for their rescue efforts have a combined 59 years of mountain rescue experience.
Around 6:45 p.m. on March 1, 2014, authorities received a distress call from hikers stranded for nearly eight hours on a boulder near Malibu Creek State Park’s rock pool area as water levels were rising from three days of heavy rain, wind and flooding. The rock pool’s water levels were estimated to be around 10 feet higher than normal on the day of the rescue.
Responders to the nine-hour rescue operation included officials from the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Los Angeles County Lifeguards, Ventura County Fire Department and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.
The torrential rainstorms prompted rushing waters from the creek, eliminating the trail leading to the rock pool. First responders Katz and Michael Rogers initially waded through the waters, using headlamps to locate the group as dense, dark fog consumed the area in addition to heavy rainfall.
The hikers’ positioning and extremely poor visibility initially prevented requests for helicopter assistance from safely accessing the area.
Once he reached the pool-turned-raging river, Katz located a position to row across the river to the boulder, but was quickly pushed downstream by a rapid and returned to the boat’s initial landing area. Upon returning to safety, L.A. County Lifeguard Patrick O’Neill and Katz decided to attempt the river crossing again, safely reaching a river bank.
Additional members of SAR followed over the terrain, including Jack Garden, L.A. County Lifeguard Jeffrey Horn, and three L.A. County Fire Urban Search and Rescue Technicians — Kevin Frye, Richard Atwood and Jay Sartoris. The eight rescuers were collectively referred to as “Team 6,” according to Katz.
Heavy rainfall and sounds of the roaring creek water prevented the hikers from hearing rescuer’s whistles, prompting further concern for the hiker’s well-being as hypothermic conditions heightened with below 50 degree temperatures.
“What was guiding us the whole time,” Katz said, “if we don’t do it, these people die.”
Around 3 a.m. and almost nine hours into the ordeal, Ventura County helicopters found an opening in the weather conditions and safely rescued all four hikers.
While the hikers were returned to safety and treated on scene by paramedics, the members of the rescue team spent an additional two hours simply making their way back to safety.
“It took us a couple of hours to even retrieve our equipment,” Katz said. “We were bringing equipment over all night — clothing, food, water, technical equipment, hardware, systems, an additional boat … there were all kinds of things we were shipping across.”
The four hikers were identified as Long Beach residents Savun Chhath, 25; Billy Chum, 25; Jonathan Lucero, 26; Janette Recinos, 25, and were each cited under California Code of Regulations Title 14 for engaging in “recreational activities that endanger the safety of persons, property, resource or interfere with visitor activities,” according to sheriff’s.
The awards were presented at a national convention in Colorado, with a smaller ceremony to recognize the rescuer’s efforts during a recent SAR training.
“All of our rescues have danger related to them, but this is the one where people came from the water and said ‘What were you thinking when you came across? I really should have given this a second thought,’” Katz said.
Comprised of L.A. County Sheriff’s Department Reserve Deputies and other volunteers, the Malibu SAR volunteer team has already accrued 75 rescues to date this year.
“When you have the ability to help people, that’s what it’s all about,” Katz said.
