Contra Costa Search and Rescue Team

06/15/2026

UPDATE 6/15 3:45PM: Missing person located.

Search in progress for an at-risk person in Brentwood.

UPDATE 6/15 3:45PM: Karenaccacia CARTER has been located and is safe.

MISSING ADULT- AT RISK DUE TO DEMENTIA (CASE # 2602459)

The Brentwood Police Department is requesting the public’s assistance in locating 63-year-old Karenaccacia CARTER (goes by Accacia), who left her residence in Brentwood on 6/15/2026 at approximately 7:00AM.

Karenaccacia suffers from dementia and seizures. Karenaccacia does not have a cellphone or money. Karenaccacia has left home in the past and was able to travel to Sausalito, CA by unknown means.

Karenaccacia is 5’4 and approximately 125 pounds, black hair in braids and brown eyes. Karenaccacia was last seen wearing a yellow shirt, pink scarf and a red necklace (same one in the photo).

If you have any information as to where she is located or if you locate her, call Brentwood PD Dispatch at 925-809-7911 or 9-1-1 for an emergency.

06/11/2026

Glad we could help out — great outcome for everyone involved. Thanks to El Cerrito PD for the partnership and to our volunteers who responded quickly.

Yesterday, the El Cerrito Police Department initiated a Silver Alert after a woman living with dementia was reporting missing. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team for their assistance. Their volunteers quickly responded and provided valuable support during the search effort. We are grateful to report that the missing woman was located and is safe. Thank you to our law enforcement partners, volunteers, and community members who helped bring this incident to a successful resolution.

06/05/2026

Thanks to the Rotary Club of Lafayette for having Jon, Jennifer, and Tai! Always glad to get out into the community and talk about the work.

06/04/2026

Thank you to Mendocino County Search and Rescue Team for hosting HeliOps 2026 — three days of helicopter operations training alongside SAR teams and aircrew from across the state. This is exactly the kind of training that keeps our skills sharp.

05/22/2026

If you missed May's orientation — June 4th at 7 pm is your next shot. After that, we're out until fall.

Contra Costa SAR is an all-volunteer unit under the direction of Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff’s Emergency Services Division. We respond to real calls: missing persons, technical rescues, multi-agency operations. The training is rigorous. The time commitment is real. The team is the kind that's hard to find anywhere else.

In Contra Costa County alone, 12 search and rescue missions were conducted in 2025.

Orientation is required before receiving an application. Come see what the work looks like. Ask hard questions. Membership is open to ages 14 and up. You don't need a resume full of backcountry experience — you just need to show up ready to learn and genuinely want to help. Fill out an interest form to attend.

👉 https://www.contracostasar.org/join-the-team

05/21/2026

Meet some of the team members from the Contra Costa Search & Rescue Team. Part 2.

05/20/2026

Meet some of the team members from the Contra Costa Search & Rescue Team. Part 1…

05/20/2026

Resource Spotlight - Metal Detectors

Not the typical type of search and rescue effort you see in the news.

Contra Costa SAR's Metal Detector Resource is a specialized group of volunteers who support evidence searches across Contra Costa County — and beyond. When law enforcement needs help locating metal objects in the field — shell casings, weapons, phones, discarded evidence — this is the team they call. The kind of work where missing one small item can mean the difference in an investigation.

They train monthly, in varied terrain and conditions — urban areas, open space, day and night — so when they're called out, the work is already second nature. They support the Sheriff's Office and partner law enforcement agencies whenever metal detection is the right tool for the job.

Earlier this month, two team members, Linda and Tori, attended a Crime Scene Metal Detector Operations class hosted by the Roseville Police Department — two days of specialized training focused on exactly this kind of work, bringing new skills back to the team.

It’s National SAR Week - May 16 - May 22.

05/05/2026

Most search and rescue operations in Contra Costa County happen closer to home than people expect. The trails behind your neighborhood. Open space you pass on 24 and 680. The parks you’ve taken your kids to. You don’t have to be far from civilization to get lost.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

We’re Contra Costa County SAR, a volunteer unit of the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office. We search for missing people. We search for evidence at crime scenes. We respond during disasters. When a callout comes in, we respond.

We’re recruiting. The first step is orientation.
📅 Thursday, May 7
🕖 7:00 PM

The orientation is required before you can apply. It’s where you meet team members, learn about the SAR Academy and application process, and decide if this is actually for you. We’re not selling it — we’re giving you enough information to make a real decision.

Our volunteers come from tech, healthcare, education, construction, and a lot of places that have nothing to do with law enforcement. The SAR Cadets are high school students and a significant portion of team members are retired — people who finished one chapter and chose to spend the next one doing something that matters. They all bring something different to the team. What carries across every background: you have a positive attitude, you show up, and you support the team.

Come Thursday.

👉 Fill out the interest form to attend: https://www.contracostasar.org/join-the-team

03/23/2026

Yesterday afternoon, Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team assisted East Bay Regional Park District with a search for an at-risk individual in Las Trampas Regional Wilderness.

Approximately 60 searchers responded, covering steep, brushy terrain with limited communications. Teams conducted coordinated ground searches, trail interviews, and utilized drone support and canine teams.

The individual was located in the evening in a difficult-to-access area. With support from park district fire and medical personnel, they were safely extracted and transported for further care.

Thank you to all agencies and personnel who assisted.

CARDA - California Rescue Dog Association