SUBMISSIONS:  Submissions should be sent to asara.admin@alaskasar.org . Submissions will be accepted during January through March for SAR operations during the prior year, January 1st through December 31st.  Submission length should be kept to no more than 500 words (normally one full single-spaced page of text) describing:

• Who was involved?
• Where it took place?
• How this volunteer or team meets one or more of the following criteria?

Additional supplemental materials such as associated reports, photographs, and other related materials that are releasable to the public may be provided. Materials that are law enforcement sensitive will be retained within appropriate law enforcement agencies and may be considered as the Alaska State Troopers determine is appropriate.

CRITERIA:

1. Professionally performing in a SAR mission that was difficult, complex, dangerous, or lengthy, because of the terrain, the weather, the subject's condition.
2. Exhibiting outstanding innovation and/or leadership in a SAR mission.
3. Promoting safety of all SAR responders in difficult or dangerous conditions on a SAR mission.
4. Going beyond the normal day to day SAR response, whether it is a search, a rescue, or a recovery to bring the SAR mission to a successful conclusion under difficult circumstances.
5. Actions during a SAR mission that set a positive example or high standard of care and commitment to the principles of SAR..."these things we do, that others may live."

Volunteer teams put forth extraordinary efforts each day, but what makes this mission remarkable, memorable, and exceptional. Something exemplary is so good that it is an example for others to follow.

TIMELINE: ASARA will accept submissions during the first quarter of  each calendar year with the award being presented to the individual / organization soon after as determined by the ASARA President and Directors. (i.e. ASARA scheduled Director’s Meeting, individual / organization meeting, etc.) 

AWARD: A plaque will be given acknowledging the efforts of the individual(s) and/or the team recognized for their “Exemplary SAR Practice.” A grant of $1,000 will be awarded to the recipient ASARA operational organizational member team for the purpose of training and or equipment purchase. (Individual award winners are not normally presented with grant funding).

COMMITTEE: The award committee will be given all submissions March 31st with a decision submitted to the ASARA Directors by April 15th. The committee will normally consist of the Alaska State Trooper SAR Coordinator, the Director or Superintendent of the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center, a member of the Nading family, Craig McDonald (one of ASARA's founding directors), and one other sitting ASARA Director. The committee will consider all submissions and award the individual or team that they all agree meets “exemplary practice” in search and rescue efforts. The committee must be unanimous in it’s decision. Although submissions will be accepted yearly, there may be years the committee decides submissions did not meet the standard this award is purposing to recognize. 

FUNDS: Funds for this award will be accounted for under the “Mel Nading Award” in the ASARA membership account. Funds for the award have been graciously donated by Denise Nading.

AWARDEES: 

2013 – Pat Dryer lead a technical team via helo insertion in steep forested terrain near Petersburg to stabilize an aircraft and recover the remains.

2014 – Ron Sheardown responded to an R44 mayday call flying extrication equipment, 1st aid supplies and two volunteers to a ridge top 28 miles from Kotzebue. The responding Air National Guard helo did not have the necessary extrication equipment and without Ron’s foresight the two severely injured men would have remained trapped and exposed while the Air Guard helo returned for the necessary equipment. The men were ultimately safely extricated and evacuated to Kotzebue.

2015 – Jeremy Lilly for efforts on two missions. The first was on Matanuska Peak evacuating three injured men from the mountain during a nighttime operation, one with a closed femur fracture. The other mission was an assist with Juneau Mountain Rescue for an aircraft crash near Point Howard.

2018 – Alaska Incident Management Team for SAR for managing a seven-day search in Kotzebue for Ashley Barr-Johnson. This mission involved coordinating multiple search resources including North Slope Borough helo, USCG helo, overflight by Alaska Wildlife troopers, NOAA aircraft with IR capability, K9, ATV, watercraft SONAR with underwater camera capabilities.

2019 – Alaska Mountain Rescue Group for a Mount Marathon mission to assist two stranded hikers in a steep gully. After several hours of traversing difficult vegetated terrain guided by AST helo overhead two rescuers accessed the subjects. A determination was made that due to hazardous terrain features a Pavehawk hoist was requested and successfully removed subjects and rescuers.

2021– Alaska Dive Search, Rescue and Recovery Team for search efforts in Big Lake July 4, 2021 and continued efforts including dangerous ice diving throughout the winter.

2022 – Juneau Mountain Rescue for responding to five rescue missions in a 48-hour period involving complex, lengthy rescues in difficult terrain and dangerous weather conditions.

2023 - Wilderness Search and Rescue for exemplary performance in leadership and fieldwork during a complex search near Chena Hot Springs August 13 through August 17th. Wrangell Search and Rescue for exemplary performance responding to the massive landslide on Zimovia Highway on November 20th and subsequent days of continued search and support of community members cut off from town resources.

2024 - Alaska Dive, Search, Rescue and Recovery Team for exemplary teamwork and perseverance in the search and recovery of Piper Cub N645DT and both souls onboard from the depths of Crescent Lake, Alaska.

2025 - The Alaska Search and Rescue Association received multiple nominations for the 2025 Mel Nading Search and Rescue Award. Two nominations, however, stood out due to the duration and complexity of the operations, and for the extraordinary persistence and technical expertise demonstrated by the teams involved. For that reason, the Awards Committee has elected to present two Mel Nading Awards this year.

The first award is presented to the Alaska Dive Search, Rescue, and Recovery Team for operational excellence and extraordinary teamwork in the search and recovery of five souls from the depths of Lower Cook Inlet on June 11, 2025.

This mission began in August 2024, when a 29-foot fishing vessel sank in Lower Cook Inlet with eight people and one dog aboard. Four people were rescued, while four—David Maynard, Mary Maynard, and their children Colton and Brantley—remained with the vessel. Over a protracted, technically demanding operation, the team located and recovered the family and the dog from the wreck.

The recovery required meticulous planning to mitigate hazards posed by the remote location, extreme depth, strong currents, and rapidly changing weather and tides. Highly specialized divers employed advanced equipment, technical breathing-gas systems, and rigorous contingency plans. Divers entered confined, zero-visibility spaces, operating entirely by touch while managing life-support systems and maintaining orientation in conditions where any mistake could have been catastrophic. The recovery required six dives, each lasting up to three and a half hours, executed over eleven mission days and multiple trips to Homer—efforts that followed extensive prior search operations to locate the wreck.

For their courage, precision, and unwavering professionalism in the face of grave risk, we proudly honor the Alaska Dive Search, Rescue, and Recovery Team.

The second award is presented to the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group for exemplary coordination, technical skill, and steadfast persistence in the search and recovery efforts following the Twenty Mile Avalanche in South Central Alaska, March 5–November 2, 2025.

AMRG devoted thousands of man-hours to this prolonged, complex operation. The team conducted technical snow-depth tracking, improvised snow and ice removal tactics, and evaluated hazardous terrain under extreme conditions. Working with numerous agencies, they integrated diverse resources and implemented robust communications protocols—air-to-ground, satellite, simplex, and relay systems—while providing sUAS observation and mission documentation. They confirmed critical clues in hard-to-reach, hazardous locations and supported technical helicopter insertions and sling-load operations.

Team members operated at the highest level of expertise, exercising disciplined risk management and clear, professional communication throughout. Their efforts included technical climbing, coordinated swift-water response with Girdwood Fire, and careful coordination with AST Helo 3. Through relentless persistence, careful planning, and superb execution, AMRG ultimately recovered two of the three avalanche victims, bringing closure to two grieving families.

For demonstrating unparalleled technical proficiency, resilience, and teamwork in some of the most extreme and unforgiving conditions imaginable, we proudly honor the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group.