Recognizing Mike Le Roux – submitted by Upper San Juan SAR – Chairman, Jim Bodoh
I’ve been a member of Upper San Juan Search & Rescue (USJSAR) for over ten years and chairman since 2016. Upper San Juan is the Search & Rescue team for Archuleta county and we operate under the authority of the Sheriff’s Office, specifically the Office of Emergency Management. We also perform rescue missions in Mineral county, usually on Wolf Creek Pass because of our proficiency at High Angle rope rescue and north into Hinsdale County because we can get there much faster than the SAR team coming from Lake City.
In 2014 USJSAR performed a back-country rescue on Kirsten Le Roux who had been injured in a horse back riding accident. That was her husband Mike Le Roux’s first exposure to USJSAR and after that experience Mike immediately joined us as a general member. In the summer of 2015 Mike worked as a seasonal Wildland Firefighter crew member. When the fire season was over he joined the Sheriff’s Office as a detention officer, then the Office of Emergency Management and in 2016 became the Director of Emergency Operations for Archuleta County.
Since Mike became the Director of Emergency Operations, USJSAR has made huge improvements in the training we provide our members, the quality and quantity of equipment (Mobile units, UTV’s, snowmobiles, rope rescue gear, radio’s) available to us and the motivation of our members. Mike’s involvement was not limited to what he could perform sitting behind a desk. For the past 5+ years, Mike has participated in almost every mission the team has been called out for and he’s attended almost every training, often conducted the training himself.
Unfortunately (for USJSAR) Mike Le Roux is no longer the Director of Emergency Operations for Archuleta County, but is now the Undersheriff, so his involvement with USJSAR will be significantly reduced. Mike’s passion for USJSAR is so intense that I think he will miss us almost as much as we will miss him.
At our business meeting on Jan 20th we presented Mike Le Roux with a plaque, thanking him for his many years of service and dedication to USJSAR. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
Jim Bodoh
Upper San Juan SAR – Chairman
