'Twas the Night Before a SAR Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas and twenty below, The forecast was calling for 3 feet of snow.
We had all snuggled in to our beds for the night Knowing Santa would leave gifts that we’d find at first light.
We snored and we dreamed until two forty-five That was the time that the phones came alive.
Are you available for a search the caller did ask If so please hurry, we’ll give you a task.

A small child is missing was all we were told It’s unlikely she’ll survive alone in the cold.
The searchers got ready, all grabbing their packs Filled with spare clothes ,water and snacks.
They made their way to the point last seen In hope of finding clues of where the subject had been.
The command post was on-site and search managers too They planned and they mapped, they knew what to do.

Hasty teams were sent to all known walking trails, Search dogs were requested in case all else fails.
The trackers were out, looking for sign With a bit of good luck the child they would find.
The CP had a copy of the Lost Person Behaviour book That told how far she may have traveled and the best places to look.

More searchers were called from a neighboring team With the extra eyes the subject was sure to be seen.
A call came in that some tracks had been found Do we follow the prints or call for a hound?
At last we now have a direction of travel This piece of the puzzle we now can un-ravel.

Teams were re-directed to do some jump tracking We were getting close, we’d better get cracking.
The searchers were now moving at the speed of light They’d bring the wee one home and out of the night.
In the beam of their headlamps they couldn’t see far But there was an old cabin and its door was ajar.
Inside they found her curled up in a ball To the command post they relayed the most wonderful call.
We have her they said, she’s alive and well The news brought the parents back from that living hell.

We’ll stretcher her out the searchers did say Send another team to help light the way.
Have EMS waiting to make sure she’s all right And we’ll have her home before morning light.
The teams had accomplished what they set out to do Located the subject and brought her home too.
No greater gift could have been given that day Then to get back a child that had gone astray.
The searchers had left their homes in the night To help a fellow man and do what was right.
Once at home on that Christmas morn Loved ones were hugged and good will was born.

To receive is nice but it’s better to give, These things we do “so that others may live”.

---Submitted by Pearl Heft. Author Unknown