FARMINGTON — The Davis County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team paid their respects this week to one of their longtime members whose life was recently cut short.
Honoring a longtime team member
Jason Chapman, better known to the group as “Chappy,” passed away Sunday after a battle with metastatic melanoma, team members told KSL.
“Jason was one of those guys that I trusted very much,” said Steve Petty, a friend and fellow SAR member. “(He) was one of the most dedicated members of our team.”
His dedication and preparation
Petty said Chapman volunteered with the Davis County SAR team for over two decades, working as a trainer in recent years.
He said his level of preparation was unparalleled.
“Be prepared is a good motto for the boy scouts, but he lived that at a whole other level,” Petty said. “He was ultra prepared. We’re all pretty prepared, but he was ultra prepared and I used to tease him about it because he’d carry so much stuff in his pack. He always had extras of everything.”
A dependable rescuer in the field
Petty said Chapman was dependable as a rescuer.
“I can think of several rescues where Jason and I were right there in the middle of the night looking for somebody and finding people, finding a needle in a haystack,” Petty said.
They always anticipated the dangers of the job.
“We have to remind ourselves all the time that we’re going into weather or terrain that got someone else hurt or killed,” he said.
The battle with cancer
Nobody, however, anticipated the uphill battle Chapman faced in recent months with his cancer.
“It progressed pretty rapidly despite different treatments that he got,” Petty said. “It just kept getting worse.”
Memorial hike at Flag Rock
After team members learned that Chapman passed away on Sunday, they organized a hike up to Flag Rock above Farmington for Memorial Day in his honor.
“It was a good day to be up there and remember Jason,” Petty said. “We kept a good pace, we took a flag with us and took a picture.”
Legacy and support for family
They expressed their ongoing support for Jason’s son and family.
“I hope people remember that he was dedicated,” Petty said. “I hope everybody else remembers Jason as a good guy.”
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