The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the loss of Michael Campbell, a volunteer from the Verde Search and Rescue Team. Mr. Campbell died in a tragic motorcycle accident in Longview, Texas, on January 3, 2022, while traveling to Texas from Cottonwood to visit his family.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Mr. Campbell was well known within the search and rescue community of Yavapai County, as well as units in Maricopa, Coconino, and Mojave counties. He joined Verde Search and Rescue (VSAR) at the beginning of 2003 and was immediately included in the Hasty Team, which was, at that time, a small (six-person) special sub-element of VSAR.
Mr. Campbell taught wilderness survival programs to search and rescue units in Maricopa and Mojave counties, and at numerous search and rescue conferences in Heber, Arizona. In 2017, he became certified as an instructor/evaluator and was instrumental in the training and evaluation of survival instructors for the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Jeep Posse, 4×4 Unit, and the Off Highway Vehicle Unit. He was an instructor in Survival and Wilderness Safety at the YCSO SAR Basic academies for over a decade.
“I am deeply saddened to learn of Michael’s death. He was an invaluable member of the Auxiliary Force in so many ways. He cannot be replaced,” said Yavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes. “Many people don’t know that our Search and Rescue teams are made up of volunteers like Michael, who give of their time and their own resources, to save the lives of others. I cannot thank him enough for the dedication and selflessness that he has shown our community for almost 20 years.”
A life celebration was held in Sedona on Saturday January 29, hosted by his SAR companions from Verde Search and Rescue. Mr. Campbell will receive full military honors for his interment at a national cemetery in South Dakota.