“Ready to Rescue”: Volunteers train year-round to save the lost in southern New Mexico

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) – When hikers get lost or disaster strikes, an all-volunteer team in southern New Mexico is ready to respond at any hour and in any weather.

Mesilla Valley Search and Rescue trains year-round for missions ranging from missing hikers to large-scale disasters. The nonprofit group, founded in 1994, meets weekly to sharpen skills that include off-road navigation, drone operations and specialized canine searches.

The team includes 42 unpaid volunteers from across the community and responds to about 30 missions each year. 

Working alongside state and local agencies, members have deployed across New Mexico and even out of state during major hurricanes, relying on donations and community support to fund their work.

ABC-7 reporter Paul Schulz and photojournalist Armando Ramirez followed the team to see how the volunteers train and what it takes to be ready at a moment’s notice.

Watch their special report “Ready to Rescue” Thursday at 6 p.m. on ABC-7.