CAP Activates for Missing Person Search
South Dakota Wing, Civil Air Patrol, activated on September 20 to assist the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Police with a missing person search.
CAP’s involvement – to include airborne and ground search capabilities – was requested for Wednesday. However, local authorities received a call from a member of the public late Tuesday that reported seeing the missing woman’s vehicle, and first responders to the location found her deceased near Timber Lake, South Dakota.
“Some mission staff personnel had already left for Timber Lake, and we had aircrews and ground teams ready to go just after first light this morning,” said Lt. Col. Craig Goodrich, CAP’s incident commander for the mission. “The tribal police specifically looked for CAP’s involvement as a second-wave of searching after the efforts of local authorities on Tuesday.”
Civil Air Patrol activated to support the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe its role as the U.S. Air Force auxiliary, part of the Air Force Total Force. CAP is aligned with First Air Force to rapidly respond to nonmilitary domestic threats, when tasked in a Defense Support of Civil Authorities capacity, to save lives, relieve suffering, prevent property damage and provide humanitarian assistance.
“Our condolences to the family of the missing woman,” said Col. Michael Marek, South Dakota Wing commander for CAP. “Saving lives is an important motivation for CAP members and although this search didn’t turn out the way we hoped, we stood ready to do our part.”