EAGLE RIVER, MI— The Keweenaw County Sheriff’s Department is in the process of putting together a search and rescue team.
Sheriff Curt Pennala says throughout the years the county’s been able to handle search and rescue efforts through the help of various agencies like local fire departments, but an influx of tourists over the past couple of years has created a greater need for help.
“I think, just like the rest of our area up here in the U.P., we’ve been seeing an increase in tourism. More people means more incidents.”
Pennala says the team would need a drone, a communications person and specialized equipment to get through the Keweenaw’s rugged terrain. He’s been meeting with search and rescue agencies across the state to get a sense of how the group should be structured.
Pennala hopes to hold a search and rescue organizational meeting sometime this fall or early winter.
