New memorial bench in Montecito honors Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue

MONTECITO, Calif. - There's a new memorial bench in the mudslide area, dedicated to a special group of local heroes.

Kim Cantin, a survivor of the 2018 disaster, along with her daughter, Lauren, commissioned this project.

The redwood bench was installed earlier this month in honor of the Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue teams and their K9 partners.

Together, the specially trained First Responder volunteers spent more than 2,000 hours searching for survivors and victims.

Look closely as you'll see the end, cement supports are in the shape of a dog. The bench was built by Jared Darlington, a Santa Barbara resident.

You'll find the redwood bench in the open space off the 200 block of Olive Mill Road.