August 10, 2016 – On August 10, at around 6:37 p.m., several Placer County Search and Rescue volunteers were assisting the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office for a search of a missing person near the town of Washington on the South Yuba River. The three-person team was between Brown and Fish Creek when a gunshot rang out and one of the team members, Steven Wolf, went down, reporting he had been shot in the hip. The two remaining search and rescue members found cover and radioed for assistance.
The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, members of their Special Enforcement Detail and the California Highway Patrol helicopter were able to reach the three volunteers in rugged terrain and in complete darkness. They were extricated by helicopter. Wolf was transported by helicopter to a local trauma center where he underwent surgery and has been stabilized. The Placer County Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Team assisted in the operation and will continue to aid the Nevada County Sheriff’s ongoing investigation today.
Search and Rescue volunteer Steve Wolf is 69 years old and lives in Newcastle. He has been a Search and Rescue volunteer for more than 10 years and is a member of the Ground Search Team. He is classified as a Type 1 certified searcher and considered one of the best in our unit. Steve volunteers and responds to almost all in- and out-of -county search requests. He is an avid hiker, recently hiking the Grand Canyon and routinely hiking the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Steve was recently asked to promote to the Search and Rescue command and control Overhead Team, but declined the offer because he felt so passionately about being a ground-level searcher. The two other searchers put themselves in danger while exposing their positions to ensure they were able to radio for help.
We have approximately 240 search and rescue volunteers who donate their own time to meet strident minimum standards and specific ongoing teams training requirements. Our volunteers are fundamental in our commitment to the community we serve. They are working and retired mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, sisters, brothers, husbands and wives. They serve our communities selflessly and we are so proud they are a part of our Sheriff’s family. Please keep Steve Wolf and his family in your thoughts, along with the deputies tasked with bringing the suspect to justice.
There was a man shot along with his dog somewhere around July 18th, on his own property, does anyone think the new shooting is related