The team applied techniques it would use in wilderness rescues.

"When we turned the information in to the detectives, with their past knowledge of the community, it all added up to one guy," Cooper said.

Emily Decker was trapped on a mountainside for hours before Superstition Search and Rescue saved her.
Photos Courtesy of Mike Wallace
Emily Decker was trapped on a mountainside for hours before Superstition Search and Rescue saved her.
Emily Decker was trapped on a mountainside for hours before Superstition Search and Rescue saved her.
Photos Courtesy of Mike Wallace
Emily Decker was trapped on a mountainside for hours before Superstition Search and Rescue saved her.

Within 18 hours, the toddler was found and an arrest was made. Police believe the baby was inappropriately touched, but she was alive.

This means that SSAR has expanded from just a wilderness-rescue team.

"We're a full urban search-and-rescue team. And we also do cold cases; that's something that no [other such search team] does."

Cooper says his team is changing the way it approaches searches, taking a cue from what Dan Block did when his brother turned up missing. For instance, SSAR, which always has had a website (www.superstition-sar.org), is starting a blog.

Block continually updated his blog as clues came in. He even detailed his problems with Babeu's office. In addition, Block got people to post flyers across several counties, and he spread the word about Jeff and his dog on Facebook.

He asked people to flood the phone lines of police agencies, especially those of the PCSO.

Cooper's team now is searching for Joe Domin, known in hiking circles as "GPS Joe."

The experienced hiker was reported missing on December 1, 2010, in the Mazatzal Mountains in south-central Arizona, about 45 miles northeast of Phoenix. While the official search was called off long ago, SSAR is working this cold case.

The team has gone on two aerial reconnaissance missions to establish the search area and has taken high-definition photos.

"GPS Joe left information about his plan — he said where he was going to start, what his goal was, [and that] he had GPS on how to get there," Cooper says. "The only thing working against us is time. As far as the search area, he gave that to us."

Cooper says he and the team have learned much working cold cases where there are no tracks to follow and the area has been compromised by time and weather — rain, snow, intense heat.

"In the last three years, I've learned more than in the previous 15," Cooper says. "Our searches are so meticulous, as we look for clues [under] every rock. We [consider] why they were out there — are they mountain men, hikers, rock climbers?"

It's "too expensive to train everyone in technical search techniques," Cooper says, so the team also utilizes volunteers who can "clear parking lots, clear trails, look at aerial photos, post reward posters, update information online."

Testament to SSAR's effectiveness is the 2,000 lives it has saved over the past 10 years. That the team continues to evolve is a good thing for those who venture into the Superstitions. (The PCSO has yet to answer New Times' question about how many lives its posse of four sworn officers and about 55 volunteers may have saved in its three-plus years in existence. Its spokesman, Gaffney, did say the sheriff's unit responded to 313 calls to help missing or injured "hikers.")

Despite Paul Babeu's bluster about his new search-and-rescue posse, former PCSO chief deputy and Apache Junction Police Chief Monahan is thankful to be partnered with SSAR in life-and-death situations.

"I would trust Cooper and his team with my life," he says, "and with the lives of my family."

<< Previous Page | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | All
 
My Voice Nation Help
54 comments
JoeArpaioFan
JoeArpaioFan topcommenter

How about if we talk about how Obama is really sticking it to taxpayers.

allaboutthetruth
allaboutthetruth

Has anyong looked on line for the restraining order her daughter has against her, very sad.

vigvamvoo
vigvamvoo

lol, that dude jsut looks corrupt as trhe day is long, must know Joe Arpaio well lol


www.otAnon.tk

sedonasherpa
sedonasherpa

Of all aspects of the various SO's around the State...the Search & Rescue needs to be free of politics and negative influences. Save people who need saving...end of story.  The money wasted on so many other "programs" remains under the radar.  If people can pay-back some of the expenses for a particular act of stupidity...then so be it...If not...move on...have a fund raiser and shut up.

JoeArpaioFan
JoeArpaioFan topcommenter

This rag should be deemed a hate group. I shall start a petition.

mwmike
mwmike

When you can't attack the message, attack the messenger. You, senile, hateful Joe, and the gay, illegal alien loving Babeu would make a lovely threesome. 


sheriffslutboi1
sheriffslutboi1

Babeu not only is costing taxpayer, Babeu is an embarrasement for pinal county, Arizona and san tan valley neighborhood. People feel compassion for babeu after seeing his profile and photos on porn sites.

What about the twisted investigation Dave cole did about Babeu threatening his exboyfriend. the true will come out sooner than later with more texts, lettes and photos, including babeu offering a job as a cop to one of his lovers. that's a fact is still on electronic documents to be reviewed by a new qualified investigators. then all liers chris derose, kurt cusanovich and the big lier narcissist and opportunistic will face the justice.

JoeArpaioFan
JoeArpaioFan topcommenter

@sheriffslutboi1 If a situation ever comes up where you need to be rescued, when rescuers are standing on the ledge hearing you beg for their help they should thumb their noses at you and walk away.

tyler_speedskater
tyler_speedskater

i dont understand how corrupt politicians keep getting into office year after year, McCain has been in there for years has no potential, Arpaio many years in office, has potential, but with all the lawsuits and payouts its really time for the rocking chair, Brewer has a big mouth, and one big cock would take care of that

bobbjobob
bobbjobob

lol, gotta love those bought and paid for corrupt politicians lol.


www.AnonDid.tk

bpgdean
bpgdean

if you are searching for ignorance in america, you need look no further than the voters of pinal county who elected and re-elected the liar, pedofile, self centered braggard know as babeu...rhymes with peeee uuuu.

Helen
Helen

Monica, This is a great article you wrote for Robert and his wonderful SSAR Volunteer Team. I am so proud to know some of the members and that they still continued in spite of Paul stupidity in his first day of Office getting rid of them. They did not let Paul steal their determination, dedication, purpose and integrity to the community, in helping of saving lives and finding bodies  for family members.

 Paul is a evil person that he thinks he can steal people's joy, but he did not win in this case. This SSAR group moved forward, continued doing their volunteer work, their spirit not broken by Paul Babeu. The reason being, it wasn't about them. It was about other people. This is something Paul knows nothing about. Paul is so self-centered, he acts out in revenge, anger and he always thinks people will quit. Sorry Paul, your plan did not work. You lost a very valuable group of people that were very dedicated and did it for free. You will never understand that. You are so abusive Paul, you do not even realize you even abuse your own dick.

Monica, again, thank you for writing this great article and thanks to SSAR and all your continued dedication to other people. You are the true hero's .

Paul Babeu your plan failed. And it will again with your border volunteers, because it is just about you. Helen 

bgray59
bgray59

Outstanding piece.  I can't wait for you to investigate the outright corruption of Babeau and their selective enforcement for political supporters.

ptcgaz
ptcgaz like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

I havent been around here much, but I Read this story. As a former volunteer firefighter I have to admire the courage of those who go out and try and help strangers in trouble. It's too bad fucking AZ politics have to interfere. Fuck Babeau, fuck his lackies and fuck all the idiots that put these fucktards into office.BTW aren't AZ people all about saving on taxes? FUCKING bunch of hypocrites in this state.

Paul the Cab Driver
Paul the Cab Driver like.author.displayName 1 Like

Add Mr. Babeau to the list of worthless sheriffs that includes Larry Dever of Cochise county who died while driving totally smashed, and Joe Arpiao of Maricopa County whose offenses against humanity are too long to list here.  It's a long, sordid list that goes back to the days of the corrupt Earp brothers. 

Of all the useless government items we have, county government has to rank top of the list.  There is nothing that the county government does that cannot be handled by the state or by the various cities and towns.  All of it is redundant.  Perhaps a county government made sense back in 1880, when it took two days to get from Phoenix to Prescott, but now, it certainly does not make any sense at all.  Time to eliminate it, along with all its corrupt county commissioners, worthless bureaucrats, and pompous cowboy sheriffs.

Nicosamuel
Nicosamuel like.author.displayName 1 Like

Tim Gaggme is a fucking liar, and Paul Babeu's favorite stooge.. Everybody knows that. How does he sleep at night being such a creep! With Gaggme around, Babeu always has somebody around to tell him what a studly sheriff he is.

dethompson112
dethompson112 like.author.displayName 1 Like

ARS 11-441. Powers and duties

8. C. The sheriff shall conduct or coordinate within the county search or rescue operations involving the life or health of any person, or may assist in such operations in another county at the request of that county's sheriff, and may request assistance from any persons or agencies in the fulfillment of duties under this subsection.

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu can call upon Superstition Search & Rescue at anytime! Sheriff Babeu just does not like to use all available resources to save someones life! Which is better out searching 50 Posse only or a combination of Posse and SSAR for 85 searches looking for the lost, injured or deceased?

Plus SSAR does not cost the County any of your Tax Dollars, where the PCSO SAR Posse does take your tax dollars!

PCSO SAR Posse, SSAR, MCSO SAR, C.A.M.R.A. and other SAR volunteers did not join these teams for Political reasons! 

These Volunteers joined to help those in time of need, they do this "So that others, May live"!

Those on Search & Rescue Posse's are not there to make a Sheriff look Good or Bad. They are there to help those in time of trouble!

Politics do not belong in Search & Rescue! 

I am thankful for every Search & Rescue Volunteer, in every County and every State in this Country!

God Bless each and everyone of these kind and caring individuals to give of there time, effort and money to save others!

enuf.istoomuch
enuf.istoomuch

@dethompson112 wrote " Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu can call upon Superstition Search & Rescue at anytime!".

 Very true and there is considerable precedent in Arizona for a County Sheriff using volunteers as an agency unto themselves. An excellent example is in Pima County. Check out:

http://sarci.org/

In Pima County the SO calls out SARCI and a few deputies handle the legalities. SARCI is an umbrella organization for volunteer SAR teams, the oldest of which began in 1958. Some of the deputies were pretty darned good too, back in my day. This may not last when the current Sheriff retires and someone new is elected, that's the risk all volunteer teams face.

The new guy always wants to change things, slap his name on everything and to hell with what works as it is, he'll fix it until it breaks!

comrade
comrade like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

Perverts like StudBoi knows that they are welcomed to Arizona by the biggest pervert of them all: the Old Fart from MCSO and his pink undies along with his bitch jaffy.

budsan
budsan like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 4 Like

Arizona elects the worst of the worst when it comes to electing politicians. Arpaio, Babeu, Brewer, McCain and on and on

Paul the Cab Driver
Paul the Cab Driver

@budsan so does the rest of the country..  Time to realize that politics attracts the worst sorts, and the worst ALWAYS get on top. Arizona is no exception, and there is no government on Earth that has resisted this principle.  Some governments hide it better than others, but that is the extent of the mitigation.  

budsan
budsan like.author.displayName 1 Like

@Paul the Cab Driver @budsan  I agree with you to a point, but tell me, what state elects two racist sheriff, a racist wacko governor in Jan Brewer, and a old bitter,  hate mongering, warmongering liar in John McCain as a U S. Senator?

mwmike
mwmike

All those states together don't have as many racist, hateful, illiterate, tea-publican nut jobs as AZ.

Paul the Cab Driver
Paul the Cab Driver

@ReggieVV  Louisiana, Mississippi, Illinois, New Hampshire.... uh, let's just save some typing and say "the other 49 states"!

ReggieVV
ReggieVV

@budsan @Paul the Cab Driver . Georgia, Kansas, Oklahoma.

fairymagic13
fairymagic13 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

One of my best friends was rescued by the SSAR group in the 1990s at Weaver's Needle.  He had fallen off the volcanic ridge just to the south of the needle and was laying in the bottom.  When I saw that rope and litter come down I was the happiest man on earth.  They saved our friend's life and permanent brain damage.  This SPHINCTER comes into Arizona after buggering all the kids in that school he was headmaster at and starts buggering the citizens of Arizona - He should be BUGGERED by a Saguaro FORCIBLY!

katedemp
katedemp like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

Sheriff Cock-hound just wants these SSAR members to join "his posse," so he can smell all their drawers after they have done a long, hot, sweaty, rescue. The sheriff has volunteered to wash their undergarments in return for their service. One question I have to ask, Sheriff Paul was asked if he had any inappropriate/sexual relationships with anybody under 18 on his AZ POST application. How did Chandler PD miss that this scumbag was living with his sexual slave (i.e.-a child)?

comrade
comrade like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

StudBoi interviewed them in private probably to see wich one has the biggest dick to "extract the information" from it.

kikiscupcakeservice
kikiscupcakeservice like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

My father, now deceased, George was a member of SSAR and good friend of Robert Cooper. He was fully involved with the crew, received awards from the Govenor and the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and was heartbroken when the SSAR was shunned by Babeu.  He suffered in silence, lost some of his physicality and the depression all lead to his demise.

danzigsdaddy
danzigsdaddy topcommenter like.author.displayName 1 Like

@kikiscupcakeservice  sorry to hear that. my sister was helped out by SSAR, so she and i both appreciate them and everything theyve done. 

luislv3
luislv3 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

Just disgraceful. What a complete waste of a county's resources. Why? Well, apparently Babeu wants to reinvent the wheel in his county! Wonder when that wheel will roll over Babeu and drag him through the mud like he deserves.

Paul the Cab Driver
Paul the Cab Driver like.author.displayName 1 Like

@luislv3  No, they are not "county resources".  Governments have NO resources except the ones they steal from the people.  Just because they extort money and call it taxes does not make it anything better than theft.  The SSAR is proof that we do not need governments, and that voluntary associations work far better.

Bort-LongYear
Bort-LongYear like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 5 Like

BBBBBueeeue is a typical politician.  More worried about re-election than the people he serves.  Tsk, Tsk on the residence of Pinal county.  

PoPoPaula
PoPoPaula like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 4 Like

Nice to see PCSO's Brian Messing finally getting some attention for some of his follies.

The dictionary might have said it best: "MESSING," as a verb, would be to cause or make a mess; to use or handle something carelessly; fiddle; to intrude; interfere.

JoeArpaioFan
JoeArpaioFan topcommenter like.author.displayName 1 Like

Let's talk about how the liberals and their fuck ass leader are ruining this country.

Flyer9753
Flyer9753 topcommenter like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 4 Like

@JoeArpaioFan   blah blah blah blah blah blah blah......

oh, sorry, were you saying something? Anything? Didn't think so.

nativearizonan
nativearizonan like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 6 Like

Babeu is just a mindless inept Joe Arpaio Mini Me. Hard to believe Pinal County voters re-elected this degenerate as their sheriff.  Well, Pinal County is welcome to their bizarre sheriff who pimps himself off in gay want ads. I guess honor and integrity no longer are part of  the sheriff job description.

Tommy_Collins
Tommy_Collins like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 6 Like

Joe Paul is used to snowing the folks out in la la land. This is no exception. He created the posse so those involved would 'owe' him, thus buying their loyalty.

It appears he is following the lead of his mentor, the Geriatric Goon of MCSO, with regard to failure to work WITH other agencies for the good of the people.

Like the Flaccid Failure of MCSO, Babeau cares only about his image, stud boi that he is.

JoeArpaioFan
JoeArpaioFan topcommenter

The liberals have been sticking it to the American people for years so what's your problem?

allanbartlett
allanbartlett topcommenter

@JoeArpaioFan the NBA All Star team has been STICKING it to your mom for decades, no problem. Such a gang bang lovin' slut.

MaskedMagician1967
MaskedMagician1967 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

@JoeArpaioFan LMAO the liberals have been sticking it to the American people? 

I just read on yahoo that Republican U.S. House Speaker John Boehner is refusing to commit his chamber to a floor vote on sorely-needed gun control laws after the mass shooting in Connecticut. 

This has nothing to do with politics. This has to do with a stunningly inept ass-clown masquerading as a county shurf in an attempt to be tough on crime when he's really a liberal. 

BTW, Studboi is from Massachusetts (one of the most LIBERAL states in the country) and was the first Republican sheriff elected in Pinal County since 1875 (the year Pinal County was established) and is a TOTAL FAILURE.

Paul the Cab Driver
Paul the Cab Driver like.author.displayName 1 Like

@MaskedMagician1967 @JoeArpaioFan  they have BOTH been sticking it to the people and have been since the Whigs first battled the Democratic Republicans in the Adam's administration.  Wake up.  They are two sides of the same counterfeit coin.

 
©2013 Phoenix New Times, LLC, All rights reserved.
Browse Voice Nation
  • Voice Places Phoenix

    Voice Places

    Find everything you're looking for in your city

  • Happy Hour App

    Happy Hour App

    Find the best happy hour deals in your city

  • Daily Deals

    Daily Deals

    Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%

  • Best Of

    Best Of...

    Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city