Cochise County Sheriff's Office Search & Rescue

10/19/2026

Lost? STOP and STAY PUT!

Wandering can take you farther from help and make you harder to find. Stay in a safe location, call 911 if possible, and share your location. Conserve your phone battery and use a whistle or bright clothing to signal rescuers.

Move only if your location is unsafe—and go only far enough to reach safety.

Help us find you: stay put, stay calm, stay visible.

10/19/2026

CCSO Search and Rescue: October Activity Update

We’re catching up on sharing what our volunteers have been doing! October 1–18 brought search calls, valuable training, and opportunities to connect with our community.

October 1 — Dos Cabezas Mountains
SAR was activated for a hiker who had been stung by bees. The hiking party reached their vehicle and drove to the hospital for treatment, and our response was subsequently canceled.

October 3 — Technical Rope Rescue
At Juniper Flats, members practiced anchors and rope system setup for vertical evacuations.

October 4 — K9 Training
At Lehner, our human remains detection K9s practiced large-source recognition across a 20-acre area. Trailing teams worked on individual objectives, including identifying direction of travel and following trails of varying ages and lengths.

October 7 — National Night Out
We joined other law enforcement agencies at Sierra Vista’s National Night Out. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to meet the team!

October 10–15 — Continuing K9 Education
Two CCSO SAR K9 team members attended International Police Work Dog Association training, learning alongside handlers, instructors, and Master Trainers. Continuing education strengthens our teams while reinforcing the foundations of reliable K9 work.

October 11 — Benson Search
Our team assisted Benson Police Department in searching for an elderly woman living with Alzheimer’s disease. Ground teams, two SAR K9 teams, Arizona DPS Air Rescue, and a BORSTAR K9 team supported the search. She was located late that afternoon after a community member contacted Benson PD to report that the woman was with her.

October 12 — Ramsey Canyon
A teenage runner became disoriented after dark and called 911. Using cell phone location information and Find-Me-Link, rescuers located him, completed a medical assessment with no concerns noted, and reunited him with his parents.

October 17–18 — East Stronghold Training
Saturday began with a timed, approximately 4.5-mile hike carrying 25-pound packs. Members then practiced search tactics, reviewed pack contents, and worked on wilderness survival skills. Dinner and time around the campfire rounded out the day.

Sunday brought helicopter ingress and egress training with CCSO Hawkeye and Arizona DPS Air Rescue—important preparation for field personnel, including our K9 teams.

Thank you to our volunteers for the time and dedication they give to training and responding, and to our partner agencies and community members for their continued support.

Preparation today helps us respond when someone needs us tomorrow.

10/11/2026

10/10/2026

🍂 FALL HIKING PSA: COCHISE COUNTY 🥾

Cooler weather is here and the trails are calling. Fall is one of the best times to hike our corner of Arizona. But the desert and sky islands play a trick on you: the temperature swings hard between day and night.
🌡️ This week’s spread (Sierra Vista area):
☀️ Daytime highs: upper 60s to low 80s°F
🌙 Overnight lows: upper 40s to low 60s°F
That’s a 20 to 30°F swing in one day. A trail that feels warm at noon turns cold fast once the sun drops behind the Huachucas. It gets colder still at elevation: Carr Canyon, Ramsey Canyon, up toward Miller Peak, out in the Dragoons around Cochise Stronghold, and especially the Chiricahuas. Up in the Chiricahuas this week, highs sit in the 50s and 60s and lows drop into the 40s, so pack like it’s a different season up there.

✅ Before you head out:
Dress in layers. Peel them off at midday, put them back on before dark.
Pack more water than you think you need. Dry air dries you out even when it’s cool.
Start early and finish before dusk. The days are getting shorter.
Tell someone your plan: route, trailhead, and when you’ll be back.
Watch the sky. Light rain chances early this week.
Carry the essentials even on short hikes (see the graphic 👇).

The mountains look beautiful this time of year. Be smart, pack right, and enjoy it. 🏔️

10/07/2026

On October 6, CCSO Search and Rescue participated in Sierra Vista’s National Night Out. It was wonderful to see so many people come together and connect with those who serve our community.

Thank you to the organizers, participating agencies, and everyone who stopped by. A great evening of community spirit!

10/06/2026

A little behind on reporting—it’s been a busy couple of training days for CCSO SAR!

Saturday, we conducted our final EVOC training in Sierra Vista and technical rope rescue training at Juniper Flats. Maintaining these skills, especially when working on vertical surfaces, is crucial to keeping our team ready for the next call.

Sunday was K9 training day, with continued work on trailing, particularly longer trails, and detection work. One of our area search K9s searched for our boss and took finding him quite literally—landing right in his lap!

Great training under perfect conditions. Thank you to everyone who helped make it happen!

10/02/2026

A HUGE Shoutout to our new Allsups/Valero Travel Center on their Grand Opening in Willcox today! And our sincere appreciation for their generous donation to our county Search and Rescue Foundation!

09/27/2026

Another K9 training day is in the books!

Training began Saturday afternoon with an aged trail for Sherlock. Another trail was laid shortly afterward for Rockie to work the next morning, giving him a trail more than 12 hours old.

We started early Sunday, with Rockie’s trail setter in place an hour before the first run. While we waited, Quinn worked short scenarios and the remaining trail setters headed out for the rest of the team.

The other trails were approximately half a mile long and at least two to three hours old. The dogs worked through road crossings, terrain changes, contamination, and other challenges. Cool temperatures made for a great morning, and the dogs were in their element.

A big thank you to our trail setters for the time and effort that made this training possible!

09/25/2026

On September 24, several CCSO Search and Rescue team members joined Bisbee’s National Night Out. Law enforcement agencies from across Cochise County, along with federal agencies and local fire departments, gave visitors a glimpse of the work they do for our communities.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to meet the teams, and a special thank-you to Bisbee Police Department for providing food and water for visitors and participating agencies alike!