Established 1967
About the Team
A California non-profit corporation whose members volunteer their time, skills, and equipment to search for and rescue people in the backcountry.
The San Diego Mountain Rescue Team was established in 1967 and has completed over 1,500 missions in the years since. We are a volunteer organization dedicated to saving lives through search, rescue, and mountain safety education.
How we operate
Our members provide their own equipment and their own transportation. The team maintains the specialized gear a technical rescue demands — medical packs, technical rope equipment, litters, radios, and GPS units.
We work under the direction and control of the agency responsible for search and rescue at the operation site, which is usually the local county Sheriff's department. Our primary responsibility is San Diego County, but we respond to calls throughout California and beyond.
Who we are
The team is a close-knit group of men and women dedicated to providing professional search and rescue services in any weather, at any time, and on any terrain.
We are an accredited member of the Mountain Rescue Association, which requires certification — and ongoing recertification — in search and rescue techniques. Accreditation is not a one-time award; it is re-earned.
Safety education
Beyond rescue operations, SDMRT provides safety education programs to local schools, scout groups, and community organizations at no cost. Our Hug-a-Tree and Survive program teaches children how not to become lost in the woods, and what to do if they are.
If your group would like a presentation, get in touch.