— Photo by PEG WYSE
Members of the Search and Rescue team stand in front of their van. They include: Rick Morgan, Charles McDonald, Jackie Webster, Jeff Smith, Kelly Osborne, David Lilly, Larry Karsner, Lannis Garnett, Tommy Sharp, Billy Bell, Mike Fitzgerald, Cheryl Osborne, Jude Canchola, Yvonne Karsner and Marlin Webster.
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Editor’s note: These are the final stories in a series of articles on Owen County heroes. The series was made possible by Owen Electric, Citizens Bank and First Farmers Bank

For twenty-five years, men and women in Owen County have searched for missing people and rescued trapped individuals. Occasionally, they have reached out to other creatures as well: a horse that fell through the ice on a pond; a truckload of hogs that never got to market. Although technology has changed over the years, the courage, kindness and generosity of these volunteers has remained constant.

Owen County Search and Rescue was honored in September for its 25 years of service to the community.

Lannis Garnett leads this group The secretary is Cheryl Osborne. Other members include: Billy Bell, Jude Canchola, Rob Chaney, Glenna Clifton, Sollie Clifton, Doug Criswell, Robin Dempsey, Steve Dempsey, Greg Estes, Judy Estes, Mike Fitzgerald, Summer Garnett, Richard Hampton, Darrell Hearn, Larry Karsner, Yvonne Karsner, Mark King, David Lilly, Paula Lilly, Don McDonald, Charles McDonald, Cindy McDonald, Rick Morgan, Bruce Osborne, Kelly Osborne, Jeff Osborne, Andy Perry, Teresa Perry, Patty Petzinger, Brian Riddle, Bob Risch, Teresa Risch, Tommy Sharp, Rachel Sharp, Jeff Smith, Gary Smoot, Lydia Smoot, Amanda Young, Ashley Young, Jackie Webster, Marlin Webster and Jeff Wright.

What do these 44 people do?

They find people who are lost.

They extract people from wrecked cars.

They recover the bodies of those who have drowned.

But most of all, they help people who have found themselves in a threatening situation from which they can’t help themselves.

“During the flood of 1997, we were helping for two weeks, rescuing people in flood areas and taking food to them,” remembers David Lilly, a member of the rescue squad, ambulance service, city fire chief and deputy emergency management director. “The squad has responded to lots of car accidents, including one with a load of pigs that had to be gotten out of the overturned truck — by hand.”

They’ve seen death.

“My first car wreck there was a two-car MVA (motor vehicle accident,” said Charles McDonald. “One patient was killed. We had to cut another out.”

They’ve seen the unexpected.

“A call came in for a lady with her hand caught in a table,” remembers Lannis Garnett, captain of the group, and county coroner. “She was sitting in a chair in the hallway and her hand was being pinched by a hinge. Because of her pain and being so involved in trying to remove her hand, I failed to notice that she was naked, until her hand was removed from the table. It was quite a surprise to me, to look up from the floor where I was sitting and realize I had such tunnel vision I hadn’t noticed her being naked.”

They’ve been injured in the course of the rescue.

“My most memorable moment in the rescue squad was when we received a call from a motor vehicle accident with entrapment a half mile from my house,” said Yvonne Karsner. “It was mid-January with subzero weather. After arriving on the scene, I was running to the wreck area and tripped on a guide wire, almost breaking my leg. I ended up on crutches for a couple of weeks.”

But most of all, they say they are making a difference.

“We’re helping people,” said David Lilly.

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