Search and Rescue

Whether caught in a sudden and violent storm or stranded on the cliff of a mountain, people manage to get into some precarious situations. That's when elite forces and volunteers go into action. Search and Rescue is a series that highlights some of the most difficult and dangerous rescues. Using a combination of actual footage of the events and recreations, Search and Rescue provides an in-depth look at the skills and bravery of various rescue teams, and some of their most successful, and at times tragic, rescue missions. Search and Rescue is appropriate for middle school and high school.

OBJECTIVES:
Students will learn the various ways in which rescuers save people from natural and human created disasters. They will observe the efforts of local law enforcement, emergency medical services, and elite volunteer troops in daring and difficult rescues. Case studies provide a variety of situations that illustrate the different methods used in different locales and situations.

Part 1

• Adversity
• Edict
• Ferocity
• Flotilla
• Impetus
• Infiltrate
• Ingenuity
• Ominous
• Precipice
• Profound
• Swell
• Trepidation

Discussion Questions

1. The area in which the Coast Guard ship Triumph sank in 1961 is called the

2. What are the dangers of this area?

3. The Coast Guard has a long and proud past. Discuss the tradition of the Coast Guard

4. In 1991, members of the Coast guard reunited to observe an event that took place thirty years earlier. What happened at this reunion? Why was this event so tragic?

5. In 1961, the Coast Guard ship Triumph was lost at sea when it tried to save a private vessel, the Mermaid. What was the fate of the Mermaid?

6. Only one crewmember survived the sinking of the Triumph. How did Gordon Huggins survive the terrible ordeal?

7. In 1990, the US sent troops to Saudi Arabia. Why?

8. Green Berets dug underground trenches in Iraq. Why did they go underground?

9. Where did the Green Berets learn to perfect hide site tunnels?

10. The Green Berets listened to reports from Iraqi news bulletins and the British Broadcasting Company (BBC). How did the reports from these sources differ?

11. Discuss the moral dilemma the Green Berets faced when the children discovered them. Did they make the correct choice?

12. Discuss the obstacles rescuers faced in their efforts to save Chad Riggles.

13. The High Angle Rescue Team (HART) saved Chad Riggles. What is HART? How does it differ from other rescue teams?

Extended Activities

1. Design a recruitment poster for HART volunteers.

2. Create a memorial for the men lost in the two Triumph tragedies.

Related Videos

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Air Dates

• August 16, 2004