"Our whole environment is based
on adapting.
Think quickly on your feet, look at the big picture and adapt." Rex
OPERATIONS NOTES:
Another reminder to monitor Old SO and GCSAR. ALL the
time, everywhere, every call-out.
Radio frequencies- GCSAR and EMS should all 10-54 to Old SO, or some other
appropriate channel, when we go out of town so that things don’t have to
be repeated over 2 channels or we don’t have to relay thru dispatch or you
miss something important on one channel.
When you have coordinates for the subject, learn how to plug them in to
your GPS and use the GoTo function. Driving around watching position
numbers change, hopefully in your favor, is not very....
____________________
05-33 May Day Three Shirtless Teens
RimRocked - A Self Rescue
This was reported by a third party who looked up and saw the teens.
This one looked urgent. Big rock, tiny figures, no shirts, not much
daylight left.
We originally gathered at the Pritchett Canyon parking lot.
Binoculars revealed 3 lads in a precarious place, way up there. How to get
there?
So we moved to the gravel bench above the "Egg Ranch Road" and
hiked a bunch of equipment west along the power lines. We were looking for
the correct fin of rock and the way up it. We found fresh tracks. Who? We
found 2 young girls that are friends of the stranded. They told us what
was going on. Right about then, Rex told us by radio that someone had
appeared on top and was helping the stranded up to safety. The girls told
us that another guy (the Dad?) in the group was up there with some rope.
Turns out, that rope was the yellow, braided, small utility rope from City
Market. He had gotten 3- 50 foot lengths.
We had found the route to the south side of the correct fin when
all the lads came walking down. They had "self rescued" in fine style.
Never mind the rope with low tensile strength and several other potential
disasters.
Responders: TBerry, Margy, Rex, Sam, Bego, Dave, Barbara, Lee, Jon,
Shawn
NPS: Jason Ramsdell A224
State Parks: Jeff Arbon
05-34 5-4-05 Biker Down
Fins and Things
This gal had a broken pelvis and facial injuries. We Rangered her
out.
She was reported to be 2.5 miles out on Fins and Things. That
turned out to be east of the F & T entrance that is just beyond the Crack
on the Sand Flats Road. UTM: 0638460 x 4271947
Responders: Rex, Bego, Lee, Sam, Aug, Margy, James, Shawn
EMTs: Davis, Conrad, Cohen
05-35 5- 5- 05 Twisted Knee
Moonflower Canyon
This gentleman twisted his knee and thot better than trying to hobble out.
His friend called 911 and we responded.
A simple wheel and litter back to the cars.
Responders: Margy, Bego, Aug, Sam, Barbara. James 13B62 and STEVE
BROWNELL ! !
EMTs: Summer, Mara, James
05-36 5-5-05 Biker Down SRBT
Barbara mentioned that we haven’t had very many SRBT incidents this
year. So, an hour later......
This fellow had his foot come off the pedal and his calf got gashed
by the chain ring. His friends biked out and contacted the SO. Said he was
sort of near Shrimp Rock so we parked at the parking lot. Turns out, he
was more over toward Swiss Cheese Ridge.
There was rain and lightning all around and it looked grim. Just a
bit of rain for us and the lightning moved off.
Responders: Rex, Bego, Sam, Lee, Aug, Margy, Jim
EMTs: Summmmer, Mara, James
____________________
"Democracy, like any non-coercive relationship, rests on a shared
perception of limits."
____________________
05-37 5-6-05 Biker Down Sovereign
Trail
This 62 year old man fell and broke his humorous just above the
elbow. A cell phone call with a very bad connection got to 911. Another
call back was equally difficult to decipher exactly where the party was
located.
We staged at Dalton Wells and started to an area we haven’t been
to. Shortly down the road we met a private car with the injured man
aboard. He was cared for by EMS and put in the ambulance.
Overheard: "It’s about time they got here."
Responders: Rex, Bego, Barb, James, Jim, Sam
EMTs: Jeff, Coffee Bob
05-38 5-7-05 Fall While Spotting a Jeep
SteelBender
This guy fell down while spotting a jeep, landed on his tailbone,
then hit his head for a concussion.
We were all set to leave the staging area when 05- 39 was paged
out. Ambulance 502 said they would be OK by themselves. We left one member
w/ ATV at the trailhead, in case, and the rest of us went to the following
incident.
Responders: Rex, Bego, Dave, Jim, Barbara, Matt, Jim
EMTs: Fuller, Davis, Mosher
05-39 5-7-05 MotorBiker Down Gold
Bar Trail
Louis 1 T 9 went in to see what was up and met a private vehicle
bringing out the injured party. This guy wrecked his motorcycle and then
it rolled over him.
We got as far as the lower Gemini parking lot, then 10-22.
Responders: Rex, Bego, Dave, Jim, Matt, Barbara
EMTs: Conrad, Hauke fly boy
XX-XX 5-8-05 Recovery Dead Horse Point
San Juan County
San Juan Deputies and Search and Rescue recovered the body of a
suicide at the base of the cliff. They were flown to the base of the cliff
by the DPS Helicopter.
05-40 5-8-05 Recovery Book Cliffs
Unpaged
Female from Denver recovered from 2 1/2 miles up Spring Canyon,
west of Cottonwood (exit 214 on I-70). ATL several days ago. Car found
yesterday.
DPS helicopter pilot Terry Mercer flew us in and long lined the
body out.
Responders: Rex, Bego, Kent, Louis 1T9 and Curt 1 T 2
And that made for 15 incidents in 15 days.
05-41 5-11-05 Fall Off Horse Castle
Creek
This gal said her horse stumbled and she went over his head,
landing on her head. The location was up Castle Creek from Red Cliffs
Ranch. We took the wheel and titanium litter about 3/4 mile up the horse
trail. Colin Fryer and his ranch hands helped wheel her out.
Responders: Bego, Frank, James, Aug
EMTs: Conrad and Cohen
05-42 5-12-05 Boat Floating Downstream, No
People Around Colorado River
Someone called that there was a boat floating down the river,
upside down, no one around. Several people responded upriver and GCSAR was
paged.
Shortly later, a private river trip came along and righted the
kayak. It is reported that the kayak was abandoned in Skull Rapid the day
before. ??
Responders: Steve White was right up there.
Bego, Sam,
Margy Barbara, Lee, Aug
05-43 5-12-05 Lost Youth In Town
The sister said he had been in the yard at home at about 2:30 pm
and then was gone in an instant.
GCSAR was paged. We were briefed at the Shed by 1 T 3. Radio
stations were alerted to broadcast information. The Fire Dept was called.
We all gathered at the old Movid property across from the lad’s
house. Nancy, Margy and their dogs secured a scent article and talked to
the Mom and kids. Paula, Barbara were already out looking at "kid" places.
We were just getting wound up with 1 T 2 when the call came that he
was found over on Aspen Ave in Mountain View. Said he was "lost." Yup.
Responders: Bego, Sam, Barbara, Lee, Frank, Paula, Nancy, Margy
Many from Moab Fire Dept and Law Enforcement
____________________
Steve Brownell Retirement Party- May 14th..... Now, will he join Search
and Rescue???
The BuRec mid-year report on the upper and lower Colorado Basin
http://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/AOP2005/midyearpp.pdf
Steve White: "You can put your boots in the oven but that won’t make
them biscuits."
____________________
XX-XX 5-18-05 Incident on Colorado River in
Westwater Canyon
On a commercial river trip in Westwater Canyon a youth fell out of
his boat in Skull Rapid, got laundered" in the hole, became unresponsive
and then washed into the Room of Dooom. The guides saw this but at that
water they couldn’t ROW into the Room to get him.
Rather, you have to boat downstream a ways, climb the steep, hot
rock to the rim of the Granite Gorge, hike back upstream, and climb down
steep rock to the swirling waters. A guide did this very thing, leaping
into the maelstrom directly between Scylla and Caribdus. He nabbed the boy
and blew some rescue breaths into him. Poof..... ALIVE. Well dog my cat.
Wow.
At the Cisco boat landing, Jeff EMT said the youth couldn’t
remember the event and he had water in his lungs. Otherwise FINE.
05-44 5-20-05 ATV Rollover No Helmet
Southwest of Duma Point, Red Wash
Just around the corner southeast of the White Wash Sand Dunes. In
an area of 10,000 ATV trails spider webbing the area. They had a cell
phone. We got coordinates: 38º 46.166 ‘ x 110º 00.777 ’ The 110º shows
it’s pretty far west in the county.
We gathered around the maps and computer to discover they were in
the middle of nowhere. Not near any known road. Ken "Price- 50" joined up
with Zane "too sexy for...." and drove in the Blue Hills Road to the
subject’s vehicle. Then in along 10 Mile Wash, crossing it to the Duma
Point Road (Moab West map). August, on the computer, was giving out
coordinates for road junctions..
After driving a few miles towards the Sand Dunes, the GoTo arrow on
my GPS kept track of where we needed to go.
But how to find the correct ATV trail to get there. They said they
had been in the dunes earlier so their route must have been from the west-ish.
Red Wash was in the way, then the road soon crossed it. Presto. An ATV
track headed in exactly the correct direction and the RP standing there.
502 was soon there. Matt McCune (nice to see you out here again!!)
and John took the Ranger a mile and a half in to the subject.
We all returned to Moab via the Sand Dunes and Ruby Ranch Road. Sam
and I followed the RPs back to their trailer cuz they were afraid they’d
run out of gas.
And that’s the short version. The long version entails listening to
10 for hours.
Responders: Bego, Sam, Jim, Aug, Margy
EMTs: Phil, Matt, John
05-45 5-21 & 22-05 Overdue Mountain Biker
Poison Spider
Note: I wasn’t there so this is all second hand and some important
details will undoubtedly be missing.
"When I got to the parking lot, he wasn’t behind me." The RP had
been waiting for hours before he called 911. Last seen at the Golden Spike
turnoff. Is 100 ounces of water enuff for this guy on a hot day??
Sat night-
By 1915 hrs we and EMS had left the Shed and by 1800 there were 2
Rangers, a Bronco, 3 SAR folks and 3 EMTs headed up the trail. Barb went
to the Gold Bar area to look around. A bit later, Shalla worked the lower
part of the Portal Trail.
All the main trails up on the mesa were covered, some side points
and Matt even hiked down the Portal Trail. By midnight, everyone started
down to the parking lot. Where is Roger? Plans for Ops period 2 were
hatched which included the DPS helicopter.
Sunday-
Early in the morning, 1 T 9 went to the airport to get in the
helicopter.
Rex at EOC & Command Center and Nancy at the Shed.
ATV Ground teams form and leave. Helo observers fly. People from
many agencies responding.
Bike discovered @ 0908 hrs.
Blue thing discovered up in a big crack in the cliff by observers
on the Egg Ranch Road
Helo goes to blue thing- it is something that climbers have left
Ground team to bike.
Tracking team to subject at 1120 hrs.
Roger had died of "exposure." Later we learned that he was severely
dehydrated the previous day
and wasn’t feeling so well at the
beginning of this day.
Saturday Responders: Nancy, Sam, Aug, Matt, Barb, Bego, Jim
EMTs: Paula Fuller, Matt McCune, Margy Baker
Sunday Responders: Rex, Frank, Sam, Nancy, John, TBerry, Barbara,
Margy, Matt, Aug, Jon, Jeff D
Sheriff’s Office: Curt, Art, Archie, Kim, Steve ground
crew, Louis, Shawn,
Brent "helmet" Pace,
Robert, Mark
State Parks: Tony White, Jeff Arbon
NPS: Andrew, Jason, Christa
Red Rock Four Wheelers: Doug McElhaney, J McElhaney,
Jeff Stevens
Helo pilot: Steve Rugg is back from Afghanistan
05-46 5-27-05 Hiker with Broken Leg
Left Hand Fork of Mill Creek
She was vacationing for 2 weeks from Calif. Broke her leg just
below the knee jumping into a shallow pool.
The titanium litter, folding backboard and wheel were carried
individually up to the scene.
The wheelout from Left Hand isn’t so much difficult as it is
awkward due to the narrow trail thru riparian vegetation. There are
several places of poison ivy.
Responders: everyone in her group participated in this rescue.
Rex, Bego, Sam, Barbara, Lee, James, Shawn
EMTs: Craig Hauke, Jeff, Coffee Bob
05-47 5-27-05 Lost ATV Gemini
Mark got separated from his group. He was on an ATV behind the lead
vehicle and in front of the bikers. Poof gone.
His group found him after several hours, just after we were paged.
Responders: Kris, Bego, Rex, Barbara, Sam, Aug, Kris
____________________
"Remain calm, serene, always in command of yourself.
You will then find out how easy it is to get along."
Grand Teton National Park (WY)
Rangers Rescue Injured Climber Near Icefloe Lake
Rangers evacuated an injured climber by helicopter from a point
near the Icefloe Lake area (10,652 feet) on the evening of Tuesday, May
24th. Justin Sobol, 22, of Oakland Park, Florida, fell approximately 1,000
feet around 11 a.m. while descending the southwest couloir of the Middle
Teton after experiencing difficulties with his crampons and ice axe. The
accident occurred after Sobol’s crampon bindings failed twice; he
reattached them once, but the second time the crampons came off and slid
downhill. Sobol began to glissade to retrieve the crampons, but lost
control. He attempted to self-arrest using his ice axe, but he lost the
axe when the leash attaching the ice axe to his wrist either broke or came
loose. Sobol tumbled about 1,000 feet over steep snow, ice and rock,
coming to rest several hundred feet above Icefloe Lake at an elevation of
approximately 11,000 feet. Sobol was not wearing a helmet at the time.
Sobol’s climbing partner, Nick Carter, 23, of Gainesville, Florida,
descended into Garnet Canyon, where he encountered Exum guide Mark Newcomb
above the Meadows. Newcomb placed a cell phone call at 2:30 p.m. to Teton
Interagency Dispatch to report the accident. Rangers began to coordinate a
rescue operation by gathering personnel. Due to the remote location and
possible injuries to Sobol’s head, neck or back, rangers also requested
assistance from Classic Helicopters, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, as
well as Air Idaho, based out of Idaho Falls, Idaho. While four rangers who
were working at the Lower Saddle descended to the accident scene and a
fifth ranger ascended from the Meadows area to meet them, the Classic
helicopter flew from Salt Lake City to Lupine Meadows to provide
assistance. When the rangers reached Sobol, they provided emergency
medical assistance, then lowered him using a series of belayed lowerings
and snow anchors to a landing zone near Icefloe Lake. The Air Idaho
helicopter made contact with the rescue party at approximately 7 p.m. and
transported Sobol directly to St. John’s Medical Center in Jackson. The
Classic helicopter assisted with transporting rangers and equipment back
to Lupine Meadows. The rescue concluded around 8 p.m. This marks the fifth
major search and rescue in Grand Teton National Park this year. [Jackie
Skaggs, Public Affairs]
Of note: The Boy Scout lost in the Uintah Mountains was found by
a civilian volunteer ("I just wanted to help") and he was way outside the
primary search area.
____________________
XX-XX 6-6-05 Agency Assist Arches
NP Rock Rescue Unpaged
Two teens on vacation climbed up in to one of the caves in Cove of
Caves. Couldn’t get down. "I had the chance to stop her from climbing up
but didn’t," said the Dad. OK.........
Jason scampered up the pretty steep and loose Entrada to them. I
came up. We lowered each person down with two ropes by just sitting down
on the cave floor rubble and digging in our feet. Basic lowering a person
like at the last training session up on the Sand Flats.
What about us? We put in one bolt and rapped off. Too scary to
climb down.
Responders: Jason Ramsdell, Jacob A225, Karen A222, Nancy from Arches,
Arches 248, Bego
____________________
Steve White: some days the pigeon and some days
the statue.
____________________
Canyonlands Rodeo Kent Green, Grand Marshall
Parking was had by all courtesy of Grand County Search and Rescue.
White Striping by August.
Decoys: Thursday- Lee, Barbara, Cody
Friday- Lee, Barbara, Cody, Jim, Aug,
Dave, Bego
Saturday- Lee, Barbara, Cody, Jim,
Aug, Dave, Bego
Mason Pior (8) won the Mutton Bust’n on Saturday night. He’s now a member
of WRO or Wool Riders Only.
____________________
05-48 6-13-05 Slickrock to the Forehead
Near Shrimp Rock SRBT
At first this seemed routine but the description of where the
subject lay was not coming clear. Eric talked to the RP on the cell which
didn’t yield too much useful info. Some minutes was spent looking at
various maps to try to decode the PRs report. Well, we decided to just do
the SRBT counterclockwise with 2 Rangers, 2 GCSAR members and 2 EMTs until
there. Moments later, Jeff Arbon got a State motorcycle and did the trail
clockwise.
Jeff got there first. There were 2 EMTs and a firefighter already
on scene tending to the subject. We weren’t far away, being careful in
very difficult ATV terrain. Curt 1T2 advised a helo in the interests of
time and a head wound. Jeff got GPS coordinates. CareFlight launched.
Turns out, the subject couldn’t remember anything about the event
and not much about the world at large. Oh-oh. Helo landed. Next day he was
reported to be fine in St Mary’s Hosp.
Responders: Bego, Rex, Lee, Barbara, Cody, Sam
EMTs: Paula Fuller and Jeff Davis
SO: Eric ( first SAR ), Zane, Louis
05-49 6-17-05 Biker Down Porcupine
Singletrack A life saved
This 17 yr old male "can’t sweat." He was heat stroked enuff to be
combative so we had to tie him into the litter. Wheel and litter carry-out
from 1/4 mile up the singletrack. He was released from the hospital 4 days
later.
Responders: Frank, Sam, TBerry, Jim, Barbara, Lee, Jon, Cody. 1 T 6
and 1 T 11
EMTs: Paula, Jeff
05-50 6-18-05 Stranded Swimmer
Colorado River at Hal Canyon
Peter swam out from shore and couldn’t swim back so he headed for
the far shore. We launched our boat and retrieved the lad.
Responders: Frank, Sam, Nancy, Dave, TBerry, Barbara, Kris, Cody
____________________
Fatality on the Green River-
Sad to report, another person died running a river this past weekend. A
brief article in the 6/13/05 TRIB says that a 50-year old teacher from
Roosevelt, Utah, was on the Green below Flaming Gorge dam on a faculty
outing when she and another person fell out of the boat. The other person
got back in, this person swam to another boat but was not able to get back
in. People in that boat held onto her, but "at some point she lost
consciousness" and could not be revived after 45 minutes of CPR. My wife's
first question this morning was why didn't they get her to shore right
away? The water below FGD is deadly cold, even worse than the Colorado at
Lees Ferry if you can believe that. I bet it was the shock of that water
on someone who might not have been in the best of shape. No photo nor
obituary, so no telling if she was a large person or not. I know I could
not get back into a boat on my own, especially if I was all but paralyzed
by that cold water. I would strike out for shore immediately, the boat be
damned. At any rate, it made me think of a similar incident in the Grand,
fictionalized in what I think is an under-rated classic of the genre, Neil
Ekker's REQUIEM FOR A RIVER RAT. In that, a heavy woman who is all greased
up with sun screen goes out of the boat in Crystal, I think it was, and
can't be rescued because she's too heavy and too slippery. I've heard that
that was based on a true story, one of Georgie's passengers I think?
Anyone know the details?
Roy Webb, C.A.
Multimedia Archivist Special Collections
J. Willard Marriott Library
295 South 1500 East University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah 84112
____________________
05-51 6-20-05 Recovery Porcupine Trail
Singletrack
This 15 yr old female was biking with her whole family. They took
water and gatorade on the ride but the day was super hot and they were
getting dehydrated anyway by the time they started down the singletrack.
Part way down, she sat down and had trouble breathing.
The Dad ran down the trail to get the word to 911.
We responded with the EMTs. We called for the CareFlight
helicopter. Bikers coming down the trail reported troubling news. Sylvia
died shortly before we all arrived.
See the Dad’s write up of this event at <http://www.ogrehut.com>
Also- there was a citizen complaint about a responder’s
driving...... Calm down drivers!
Responders: Rex, Bego, Sam, Frank, Nancy, Lee, Cody, Duckie, Aug, John,
Barbara, Matt
EMTs: Jeff and Cindy
Where are you going if you pass by Dun Glen, Cosgrave, Button Point,
Pumpernickel Valley, North Valmy, Mote, Argenta, Dunphy, Osino, Ryndon,
Deeth, Welcome, Pequop, Montello, Shafter, Clive? (Mote and Deeth win).
XX- XX June 25
CAPFlight number 4412 (or something) looking for an ELT (?) at 38-21 x 109
-33
Somewhat near the confluence of Hatch Wash and Kane Creek
June 26
DPS Helo in the area all morning looking for the same ELT coords.
Later went to the Moab Airport to fuel.
Right then, the next incident was paged out.............
05-52 6-26-05 Two ATV Accidents at the White
Wash Sand Dunes
The adage goes that people should always travel in pairs so that if
one gets injured, the other can go for help. Well....
911 was contacted cuz a subject was injured at the Sand Dunes. No
other info on injuries, no location. Emery County EMS responded, 1 T 14
responded even tho his radio didn’t work. The DPS helo Star 7, who was
refueling at the airport, responded.
Star 7 picked up 2 EMTs at the Ranch Exit 175 on I-70 and took them
to the subject. GCSAR was rolling with the Ranger and 2 ATVs. Star 7
transported the injured man with heavy face trauma out to the ambulance on
I-70. The helo returned for the second EMT.
At this point, Sam and Barbara were looking for Pace 1 T 14 who was
stuck (read: STUCK) in the sand in his new ride. They came across another
ATV accident. Right then, the helo appeared so he was flagged down. The
subject of this accident was the wife of the injured man. She rolled his
ATV while driving it out, breaking her femur and ankle. She was
transported out to the ambulance on I-70 by helicopter also.
And Pace was rescued by GCSAR.
Barbara writes: "We had not been updating headquarters or
Dispatch as to our actions. Augie had been sent to find us. We had become
part of the problem. Fortunately we corrected this before Augie had gone
to far."
Responders: Nancy, Sam, Barbara, Lee, Aug, James
OPERATIONS NOTE: The White Wash Sand Dunes and quite a bit of area "over
there" is not within sight of the radio repeaters that the S.O. uses.
Teams should agree on a talk around local channel (or two??) and hopefully
have a relay to the SO "up on top." If no radio link is established, then
SATELLITE phone (charged up) should work. Or, this time, Star 7 helicopter
was a com link when he was airborne. He could talk to the UHP Troopers and
ambulances at Exit 175 AND the Sheriff’s Office. One must be patient with
bad com when out that way.
____________________
June 30- Nextel (Done) donated $1000 to Grand County Search and Rescue.
Much discussion with Nextel reps about present and up coming features of
their product that can help people stay out of trouble, self rescue or
tell Rescue units where things are happening.
July 1st: KZMU Free Speech Friday host Wayne had Barbara, Jon and Bego
from Search and Rescue
and Bruce Hucko and Malia
Grosbeck from Voices of Youth Extreme Safety. Talked about
how to educate people
about what survival stuff (The Ten Essentials) to take hiking and
biking and care of the
human body in temperature extremes. Visitors should do some
homework about where they
are going to prevent becoming a search and rescue subject.
How to get the word out
to these visitors.
Leave your day’s
itinerary with someone. Tell your motel clerk or even call GCSAR. That
gives rescuers a starting
point at least. As Malia observed, "It really can be dangerous out
there." Hucko comments,
"Some people will allow themselves to fall thru the cracks."
Seen on Google Newsgroups:
"I think many people never quite realize that the real wilderness is not
Disneyland.
The boulders are not painted styrofoam, the wildlife aren’t fur covered
robots, etc. "If
this trail wasn't safe, they would put up a sign or something," belongs in
lists of famous
last words." Contributed by Barbara
August 20: Community BBQ to say THANK YOU to all the Emergecy Services
workers. Real food,
4-8pm at Swanney
City Park.
Bravo-
Just in case anyone was worrying whether Laura Bush
proved to be hardy, she did indeed hike up the Bright Angel Trail and out
of the Grand Canyon on Monday, a very hot day. The trail was loaded with
rangers and secret service too. Even the national head of the NPS showed
up, just by chance they say. But let's give Laura credit for doing the
hike at the hottest time of year when she could have summoned a
helicopter. She got out in time to have lunch at the El Tovar Hotel on the
South Rim.
Be Aware of Wonder: Looking WNW 30 minutes after sunset on June 24 was
Saturn, Venus and Mercury
bunched up near Castor and Pollux in Gemini. Nice show.