On April 24th, 1969, a group left the Methodist Church in El Centro on the way to Mt. Signal for a Sunday school picnic. Upon arriving the kids began playing in the sand and exploring the area. Soon it was time to eat but as all the kids gathered around there was one eight year old boy missing. His name was Keith Riley.
In the following days hundreds of volunteers began searching for him to no avail. After three days Keith's body was located on Mt. Signal where he had fallen.
It is said that prior to this outing Keith expressed a desire to climb Mt. Signal. Keith's father chose the words for his gravestone: "He climbed the mountain."
In the following weeks eight men and women came to gather frustrated with the outcome. At that point in time, the county lacked the resources to mount an organized, effective and equipped search.
These men and women made a pack to never let this happen again. De Anza Rescue Unit, Inc. was formed on May 26th, 1969.
We have often been asked why we volunteer to do this and our answer takes us back to the international motto... "So that others may live."
