Book Recommendation: ‘Gila Lost and Found: Search and Rescue in New Mexico’

Search and Rescue volunteers must often look for lost hikers in difficult terrain. Gregg Epperson/Shutterstock

I have a special fondness for New Mexico and its intrinsic natural beauty. Many of my cousins (on my mother’s side) reside there, predominantly around Albuquerque and Socorro.

Known as the “Land of Enchantment,” New Mexico is a large state, ranking fifth among the 50 in total area, and boasting a range of landscapes from deserts to deep canyons, raging rivers, dense forests, and mountains.

As readers will quickly learn from SAR (Search and Rescue) Field Coordinator Marc Levesque in his book “Gila Lost and Found: Search and Rescue in New Mexico,” this lush state can also be the “Land of Entrapment” for those unfortunate enough to become lost, stranded, or injured when exploring areas in the southwest corner of the state: the Bootheel that includes the Gila National Forest and the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument.

Looking out from one of the Gila cave dwellings. Public Domain

Tourists flock to the area for hiking, biking, climbing, hunting, or rafting, whether for the day or planned backcountry camping. Many are experienced and prepared. Others are inexperienced and woefully unprepared. Regardless of the category of explorer, and depending on their good or bad decisions, Mother Nature can get the upper hand when the weather suddenly changes, bringing snow instead of sunshine or turning a dry arroyo river bed into a river of debris from a flash flood.

Some Haven’t Returned

Bad weather is often when search and rescue teams are called upon to locate the lost and bring calm to an often-chaotic situation, hopefully before the victim or victims expire. According to Levesque, deaths haven’t happened often but they have occurred on his watch, and such tragedies leave everyone involved deeply saddened.

Levesque, who is not a native to the state but has lived there for several decades, has his roots in the Northeast with hiking and climbing expertise garnered from treks in New Hampshire, home to the challenging and exhilarating terrain of the White Mountains.

When he and his wife decided to make New Mexico their home, they came with an appetite for search and rescue volunteer work that quickly blossomed into a full-time career.

Levesque clearly has a passion for wilderness areas because of the freedom and charm they hold. He’s also acutely sensitive to the awesome power they wield and the danger these untamed landscapes can pose to hikers, particularly to those who aren’t paying attention to the environment or who find themselves sick or injured.

Two hikers in New Hampshire's White Mountains. N. Smyth/Shutterstock

Levesque is an apt storyteller. His narratives are told in dramatic fashion, keeping readers on the edge of their seats wondering whether his teams will locate the missing hikers or the two teenage girls perched on a mountain ledge or the older gentleman hiking with two goats as pack animals.

He also includes some history, like the true story of George and Joseph Cox, ages 5 and 7, who went missing in the woods of Pennsylvania in 1856. Sadly, they were not found after thousands scoured the area for two weeks. Curiously, a local man’s series of dreams eventually led to the discovery of their bodies.

Thanks to the efforts of the hundreds of SAR volunteers, most cases have happy endings. Teams use a variety of resources including state-of-the-art tracking technology, not to mention their own creativity putting themselves in the hiker’s shoes. These volunteers, while unpaid, are highly trained and certified in a variety of different areas of expertise.

Tackling the Terrain

Readers will learn a great deal from Levesque’s insightful experiences. What is particularly enlightening is the amount of coordination that is required, often involving local, state, and federal agencies. With New Mexico’s proximity to the Mexican border, the Border Patrol is often called in to assist with helicopters. K-9 teams and mounted units are also employed.

Rescue missions are meticulously planned and organized but can be hampered by overeager volunteers. They sometimes turn out to help find a local person of note but will inadvertently trample over vital footprints or become lost themselves.

The Gila Wilderness. (Jtmaxwell08/ CC BY-SA 4.0)

For Levesque, the safety of his rescue teams is paramount. He spends a good amount of time making sure that roads are accessible, paths are well marked and cleared, and communication is in good order: Knowing the territory is critical. His years of experience have made him wilderness-wise. He puts that wisdom to full use when gearing up for a rescue mission.

As with law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians, search and rescue personnel fall under that category of unsung heroes. These are the folks whose untiring work can make a difference and save lives. It’s informative and compelling to learn the complexities of what it takes in mind, body, and spirit to help, in most cases, strangers survive and live to tell the tales of their adventures. Gratefulness is an understatement.

While this book focuses on the rugged terrain of southwest New Mexico, its principles can be applied to any wilderness area.

In addition to touching stories of personal rescues throughout his career, Levesque offers lots of survival tips should you happen to find yourself lost. He also includes a comprehensive checklist of items you should have before venturing out.

Whether you are an avid backpacker or armchair adventurer, you will find poignant perspective and appreciation in these rescue accounts.

"Gila Lost and Found: Search and Rescue in New Mexico" by Marc Levesque tells stories of saving hikers and others lost in the wilderness. Red Planet Press

‘Gila Lost and Found: Search and Rescue in New Mexico’ By Marc Levesque Red Planet Press, April 8, 2021 Paperback: 222 pages