Anyone who has either lived in Malibu or spent time visiting knows that people from all over the world are drawn to the area’s natural beauty.
Although the ocean is usually the first draw, there are many more canyons, back roads and undiscovered meadows amid the Santa Monica Mountains that serve as Malibu’s very own backyard. And when this vast area draws thousands of visitors and residents alike, sometimes there’s bound to be trouble. Whether it’s a car that careens over the side of a road or a hiker who tumbles off a cliff, who gets lost or is injured, there’s always one constant — the dedicated men and women who serve on Malibu Search and Rescue Team.
This team of 30 hardworking individuals is on call, 24/7, 365 days per year to help rescue victims in the most precarious conditions a mountain range has to offer. In fact, the Malibu SAR jurisdiction covers 187 square miles of the Santa Monica Mountains, from the Ventura County Line to Pacific Palisades.
The conditions these volunteers work in (and yes — they are all volunteers) are dangerous. A typical rescue might involve rappelling down steep canyons, lifting victims in litter baskets using helicopters, and doing all of this wearing heavy ropes, harnesses and helmets through any weather condition, be it scorching heat, rain or hail.
Malibu SAR has been busy of late. With 130 calls in 2015, it was the busiest search and rescue in Los Angeles County. This year, there have already been 80 calls for help. But now, Malibu SAR is trying to help save lives in a different way — one that actually affects more people than the team will ever rescue in a mountain emergency.
Approximately one in eight women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in her lifetime and, due to the fact that breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in women, Malibu SAR is now taking part in the Pink Patch Project (PPP).
Started right before October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the PPP is a collaborative effort of roughly 50 public safety agencies from all over the country. They are trying to combat breast cancer by raising awareness and raising funds by selling a pink version of their uniform’s shoulder patch.
So far, Malibu SAR is the only search and rescue team of all the agencies in the program. One hundred pink Malibu SAR patches were sold out in the first week alone, and the LA Sheriff’s Department sold 400 of theirs in just one day. Malibu SAR Team Leader David Katz said a “ton more have been ordered.”
The fight against breast cancer hits home for SAR and Katz.
Katz’s wife Deena passed away from the disease four years ago at only 48 years old, leaving behind two young children.
“It’s very near and dear to my heart. There’s another team member who, since my wife passed away, his wife passed away from breast cancer. We have a couple of people on the team whose wives are survivors of breast cancer,” Katz said.
“It’s ironic that for 20-plus years that I was on this team, nobody passed away. Nobody’s wife got sick, no person on the team got sick, and then my wife was the first to pass and another wife passed and a couple have had breast cancer over the last 10 years as well,” he continued. “This is not only a good charity and cause; it brings it home for us. We are trying to raise as much money as we can and also raise as much awareness as we can.”
While the team has begun raising money for City of Hope, a cancer research and treatment center, they remain focused on their mission of helping those in need right in our backyard.
Last Sunday, Malibu SAR held helicopter training in Malibu Creek State Park to practice hoist rescues, rappelling and ground safety near the huge choppers that assist in rescues. Even experienced team members refresh their skills for recertification since they are working with helitac teams often in poor conditions, including cliffside and in the dead of night, all in an effort to help people when they need it most.
“We don’t know the people that we are saving,” Katz said, “and this is an opportunity for the public to help us help other people as well.”
The Malibu SAR pink patches are available for $11 each, or a sticker version can be ordered for $4 through social media outlets Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. One hundred percent of the proceeds will be donated to City of Hope. The patches will also be sold year round.
