Neurobiologist Robert Koester changed the search and rescue world forever with the development of the International Search and Rescue Incident Database, a collection and analysis of SAR statistics from around the world. The constantly updated database currently holds information from more than 145,000 incidents, and Koester’s analysis of similar cases led to his book, Lost Person Behavior, which has become an essential resource for search and rescue professionals.
Koester conducts his research out of Charlottesville, where he volunteers with the Blue Ridge Mountain Group. He also serves as an search mission commander and instructor for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and has also presided over the Virginia Search and Rescue Council. In addition to Lost Person Behavior, he has also written several other books on SAR and presents on a wide range of topics related to SAR operational success.
