Missing couple found: Meet the Marin County volunteers who helped saved their lives

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Sunday, February 23, 2020
Missing couple found: Meet the Marin County volunteers who helped saved their lives
It was two volunteers and a dog named Groot, who first located the missing Palo Alto couple after they went missing in Inverness more than a week ago.

MARIN COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- A missing couple from Palo Alto was found Saturday after being missing in the forests of Inverness for more than a week - And a lot of credit for the rescue is going to the volunteers who have been out searching every day.

It was a pair from the Marin Search and Rescue team, Rich Cassens (left) and Quincy Webster(right), and a dog named Groot, who first located Carol Kiparsky, 77, and Ian Irwin, 72.

"About halfway up we hear voices - First we thought it was another team, then they started yelling 'help,' we looked at each other we were like, 'that's them!'" Webster said.

"It took us a long time even to move a short distance because it was so thick."

RELATED: 'Missing Palo Alto couple found alive after week-long search, recovery mission in Marin County, officials say

Kiparsky and Irwin were on a hiking getaway and staying at an Airbnb cottage in Inverness when they went missing. The last time family members say they heard from them was Valentine's Day.

Finding them was a true community effort.

Over the past week, the Marin County Sheriff's office estimates hundreds of people were out every single day spending up to 12 hours searching.

It was primarily teams of volunteers who were out on the trails wandering through the brush.

Saturday morning the sheriff's office saluted the teams who spent countless hours searching.

"I don't think they would have made it without this group of people you see behind me," Sgt. Brenton Schneider said.

Go here if you are interested in joining the search and rescue team.