Team effort
Groups join to rescue man missing since Saturday
The collective effort of multiple law enforcement agencies in Yuma led to the rescue Wednesday of a 77-year-old man lost in the Kofa Mountains over the weekend.
“The search effort in collaboration with multiple agencies to search for Mr. (Gregory) Manary brought a successful end,” said Lt. Sam Pavlak, spokesperson for the Yuma County Sheriff’s office. “The search effort being able to find him and safely get him transferred was due to collaboration and working together.”
The man, Gregory Manary of Yuma, was noticed missing on Saturday, Jan. 11, after he didn’t show up to a campground. The group he was meeting filled out a missing persons report with the sheriff’s office on Monday, and the sheriff’s office launched a search effort soon after.
The effort began with the YCSO search and rescue unit, who brought in the help of agents from the Fish and Wildlife department. On Wednesday, the YCSO contacted Yuma Sector Border Patrol for assistance.
Border Patrol responded by bringing in the help of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations (AMO). They provided a Yuma Air Branch pilot and a Border Patrol Tactical Unit to fly over the assumed route Manary had taken. A Civil Air Patrol aircraft also aided in the overhead search.
The Yuma Air Branch pilot found Manary’s vehicle stuck in a wash. They returned to base after finding the vehicle and brought in a Border Patrol Search, Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) officer and a BORSTAR emergency medical technician along with two Wellton Station BP agents to assist in getting him out.
The unit hiked into the area where Manary’s car was seen by the Yuma Air Branch Pilot and found Manary with his vehicle. Manary was dehydrated and injured when the recovery team found him. Upon finding him, the recovery team called for help getting him out, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety sent a helicopter to airlift him out.
The two Wellton agents helped carry the man out of the wash and to the top of a hill for the airlift. The EMT provided medical assistance while everyone waited for the helicopter to arrive.
Manary was taken by DPS to the Abrazo Arrowhead Hospital in Glendale.
After the incident, the Sheriff’s department released a press release recommending that precautions be taken by hikers to make sure they remain safe. Manary followed a few of these precautions, including staying near his car.
“The (Yuma County) Sheriff’s Office would like to remind the public to plan and prepare accordingly when traveling/ camping in the desert,” the press release states. “Pack plenty of water and food as well as additional clothing. Items to protect from the sun including sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses are also recommended. Plan your route of travel in advance and provide your travel plans to include departure and return dates/ times to a family member and/or friend who will not be traveling with you. Remain on designated/ clearly marked trails and if you do become lost, remain with your vehicle as it will be able to provide shelter and will be what rescuers will be searching for.”
Both the Yuma Sector Chief Patrol Agent, Anthony Porvaznik, and the AMO Air Branch Director, James C. Schuetzler, Jr., said in a separate press release that the success of the mission was due to the ability of all the local agencies to coordinate and cooperate.
“Working in collaboration with our CBP and local partners is a critical aspect, allowing us to effectively carry out our rescue and recovery and law enforcement mission,” Schuetzler, Jr. said in the press release. “Our pilots’ ability to partner with and insert Border Patrol agents when and where they need to be directly resulted in saving this man’s life.”