Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board SAR on the MR: 2/25/12

Laura,
All good thoughts and reviews on your part as to what occurred on
your last trip up ol' Mt. Whit.. My only question for you is this.....
How are you able to get out so much? What kind of job affords you all
that time? Wish it was me. Job, family and flat land responsibilities keep
me at home here in So. Cal. from more than I'd like. Bottom line.....
You go girl! If it's your day at Hotel Life; at least you're doing what you like!!
Felipe de España

Howdy, Felipe!

Well, first, I moved to Bishop in 2007.

Second: my job as a home health physical therapist is moderately flexible, but I am pretty much just another weekend warrior. I just live closer to the trailheads.

Third: I'm single, don't care about dusting my apartment, and try to take care of errands during the week.

Last: I've been blessed with some of the most amazing friends and climbing partners who have been willing to teach me and continue to challenge me. They inspire me to keep my eyes open for the next adventure, and I get to work figuring out how to make it happen.

Thanks!
-L

Laura,

I hope Len is well. As normal, I read these things to learn and evaluate my own practices. Although I know what I should do when an accident occur, your report of this incident put a few new things in my head that hopeful I will never have to use.

With the advent of Smart Phones - it's easy to build a list in the "Notes Section" with a checklist of things that should be done during an emergency, it takes away from having to memorize them under emotional or stressful situations. It's easy to get caught up in the moment and anything that makes everyone safer during the emergency will help everyone in the long run.

Great job Laura and company on getting Len stabilized, comfortable, and rescued in a timely manner.

The more knowledge we take away from each situation the better chance we have in the future for doing that which is needed when it happens to us or to someone in our group. Len was a great "patient" as well that helps, this was a great write-up Luara, thanks for putting it all down for the rest of us. It's nice to know that some climbers have the foresight to take into account that these things do happen all the time and they do happen to the best of climbers so safety should always be on our minds.

And thanks to your climbing partners for listening to you as it's important to work as a team, as you pointed out.

Another success story :-)

Laura,

Thanks for the detailed report. I think there is a lot to learn, and your description allows clear evaluation.

First, I think the job that you did in managing the incident was near textbook. I take into account that you are a medical professional, especially in dealing with musculo-skeletal issues.

I was not quite as concerned with not stabilizing the c-spine, because one can evaluate this for injury, and your skills should allow you to do that. All others should probably stabilize.

I was concerned about Mike, above. If I understand, he was a newbie, in the area where Len had just fallen. For most, it would create severe anxiety and difficulty moving safely. I'm not entirely clear on the layout of positions, but you clearly thought about this, and must have felt that he needed no help. Concern about him falling would have been a big concern of mine, particularly on awkward snowshoes.

That was a great job managing shock.

With all the time involved, creating a small platform to have him relatively level, with his feet a little bit elevated would have been a consideration to keep the bloodflow into his brain. You scooted him to a more level place, to accomplish at least part of this. I think he was warmer due to increased blood into his abdominal vascular pool, when you put the legs on the bag.

Since you were setting the stove up anyway, putting hot water into a Nalgene, and putting it in with him as an external heat source is often both warming and comforting.

I would have preferred not to have him had any food, per se. At this point, you could still have been dealing with hidden injuries that could have required surg, and that would have been a complicating factor. I also find that shocky folks are made nauseous by ingesting solid food. vomiting would be a signigicant complication. Fluids fine, in sips.

You know this, and I'm sure that you were doing it, but for the audience, the pulserate is an secondary assessment of bloodpressure and shock. If you have a pulse steadily going up, that is indicative of lowering blood pressure.If you have a pulse of 60-90, you almost certainly do not have shock in a conscious person.

I'm also fairly sure that you did a physical secondary survey. Basically, you push on everything (but the spine), looking for a pain response to uncover hidden injuries. For the audience, that is really important. sometimes injuries are numb. People will give reassuring statements when they are NOT ok. Len did that, here, when he initially said he was ok. He was not.

This case also shows the timeframe for an outside rescue...this seemed to be a good scenario, and yet it was hours. It wasn't clear to me what "plan B" had been contemplated, if no SAR responded.

But as I say, this was about as good a rescue as it gets, from anyone (including me) who is not doing it on a regular basis.

Much, much better than when I broke my leg on the MR, in simlar conditions (on the ledges). I needed to walk out, a memorable journey.

Good, solid, and safe work, Laura.

Fast recovery, Len.

Thanks, guys, and Ken especially for the detailed analysis. Again, I'm trying to learn as much as I can from the situation, and this is a GREAT discussion!

Let me see if I can address the comments:

Mike had followed quite closely to Len on the way out. Before I dropped to Len, I did yell out to Mike to see if he was OK, and his reaction to my, well, "strong suggestion" that he descend exactly as he went up was, "Well, no shit." When he started to move back towards the big boulders solidly, and was clear of the fall line above Len, I started my descent to Len. Mike isn't a complete n00b, and has been out with Len a few times, so he got the gist of the situation. But agreed, I could see where others might freeze or get completely sketched having just witnessed a fall.

Great point on the positioning, especially with his legs, which only worried me from a spine-precaution POV.

Another great point on the food and water, and the possibility of internal injuries requiring immediate surgery. I did not think of that, but was perhaps lulled a bit by Len's low level of distress, normal coloration in his face, able to maintain a normal conversation (well, for Lenny), and reactive pupils/proper tracking. I'll keep it to fluids.

I did do a secondary survey following the splinting of his arm, looking for problems in his lower extremities. Len actually offered more information after we got him settled, and as the bumps and bruises started to ache a bit more.

We did put a hot water bottle in with him, along with some chemical hand warmers. Len was positively steaming when we finally opened the bivy and sleeping bags.

As for Plan B, after the fly-by of the helo initially, Len actually suggested that we start making camp. I immediately chose the platform that had been pounded out right next to Len from our tromping, and I offered my shovel to the others. But this was something else I was thinking: had we not gotten reception and had to send someone down, who goes?

After really thinking about it, I would have sent Bill. While he moves a little slower, he had been up the MR enough to know where to go, and is used to moving alone. Since we had Len comfortable, he would pose the least risk to himself in getting down. Mike moves more quickly, but he did not necessarily know where to go, and besides, as an MRI tech himself, he could assist me with any medical issues which may have cropped up.

Again, thanks for the analysis! Really appreciated.

-L

Nah, should'a sent Len. After all, he caused all the trouble.



As I thought, you'd done and thought about more that your TR revealed. Some of that stuff comes so automatically, we don't really think about it up front.

Oh, one other serious thing I meant to mention: icing and elevating the broken limb to reduce swelling. Unlike many trips, no shortage of ice!

Oh believe me, Lenny was wanting to start walking out after about an hour.

Boy, did RICE get thrown right out the window, or what? I even had my big garbage bag which would have prevented a soaking. But I was more concerned, I think with keeping Len warm and as dry as possible. One sleeping pad rolled under his arm could have been useful, though.

With all your winter adventures, I'd been coming to think of you as the ICE Princess.

But now I realize that you are truely the RICE Princess!!!

GPS - while a nice "tool" for navigation, it can be extremely helpful in time of rescue dispatch. I have been involved with two mountaineering accidents in the past years. The ability to transmit the "exact" location information to rescuers greatly reduced related logistics involved with rescue time.

Secondary - if patient is coherent, remember to ask about any prior medical conditions or allergies so that this information could be transfered to the rescue team. It may make a difference.

West Marine has a good price for McMordo Fast Find 210 personal locator beacons. Though when I got mine, the battery was already 9 months into its approved five year life.

Tomcat,

The bureaucracy sometimes gets in the way of a timely rescue. I was involved in an incident about 5 years ago. I did not have my GPS that day but I did have my USGS quad of the area, which was had UTM gird. Unfortunately, the forest service SAR liaison did not have a map and the exact location with an unnamed canyon in a heavily traveled area...so I could not it they are in the west end of X Canyon. This was totally frustrating. I eventually hooked up with SAR just before they went searching for the injured parties in an "unknown" location and advised them of the exact position.

Lastly, to those thinking a rescue is going to happen minutes after a report; it will not. The above ended up being helicopter rescue with the last of the injured being transported 5 hours after the accident occurred.

Excellent points, Tom. I did ask Len about his allergies to medications, etc. I'm not used to carrying a GPS, hell, especially in the WZ, so I just forgot it was in there. The SAR personnel said they easily spotted my orange jacket, however...

Thanks for the continued insight and thoughts! This is a great discussion!

-L

I was riveted as I finally sat down, with my cup of joe, to read this TR. Bravo to all involved. Stellar. Moosie, if...no when I get back on a mountain, I want you on the team. So glad Len survived his fall and his injuries were not worse... though the x-ray shows a nasty break.

Len... Heal well and get back out there soon.

Tomcat and Ken... Echoing Laura, excellent points.

Len, I hope you heal well.
Laura, thank you for such a detailed recall of the accident.

The Only thing I can add to this is that while Laura reacted (damn near textbook) as others have said, A lot of times it's not how you treat a victim, it's "how" you treat them. Expecially if it's not person of your party.

Say, your first on the scene of a fall and have a conscious victim, if you "freakout", all that is going to do is raise the level of stress on the victim. OR, are you going to be calm and address the issues at hand (which I have no doubt that is what occurred in this lesson). In my experience, by being calm and acting according can help a victim and those that are with them much better results.

A soothing hand, and nice words can help a victim much much more than yelling and screaming can.

Calm yourself, calm the victim. Calm those around you.

I hope you all understand what I'm trying to say. I

Hi I knew if I waited someone would get here. I say just out right LIE tell them how great they look and build a boat or rebuild a motor ,bake a cake but never let them focus on the drama/tramua of the event.

Thanks Todd this one of the most critical points we see often , everyone is on the injury and forgets the person.

MC, was there any question? I think we should start w/ Mt. Hood: I just can't seem to get that mountain out of my head...

Todd, excellent observations. Not having been involved in such a situation before, I was kind of, well, surprised at how I did react in this situation. I don't really know how to describe it: watching Len fall was horrific, but perhaps it was my recent BC skiing that made me react the way I did. I remember freezing in place, watching the fall, yelling his name, but eyeballing exactly where he was headed. Only when he stopped and nothing else came down on top of him did I even start to turn around to look for Bill behind me on the hill. From there, it was business.

I remember feeling something similar this past summer when a friend and I were blasted off the summit ridge of Mt. Emerson by a thunderstorm. My partner was on the summit, and I was on the final scramble when he yelled down to me to get down (apparently the ammo box was buzzing). He descended the regular chute while I was flushed into the gully between Emerson and the Piute Crags. After the bulk of the lightning passed (I've NEVER been so scared, in my life), I was absolutely resolved to GET DOWN. I wasn't panicked, but there definitely was a heightened sense of self-preservation, to keep moving down, to get myself to a safe location. I made it out safely, and was reunited w/ my partner, who had swing around and was headed to the mouth of the slot where I emerged. Not until I was getting a hug did I let myself relax and start shaking.

It's something of a realization to see that, in these situations, that there are definitely things out of your control, and you do your best to find the things upon which you can have influence, focus on those, then start with the rest.

-L

PS: When Len started quoting Pee Wee Herman, we knew that his "person" was intact and safe...

Ahh... I remember that trip report. THAT was a heck of experience that time as well. OMG, Laura... you're going to have quite the collection of stories to tell your grandkids!!! (just some of them not at night, they may have nightmares! )

Book, Rosie, Book. We gotta push her to write a BOOK!!!

(with pretty pictures, of course)

Stacy

Oh, one other thing I'd meant to mention, don't know why I didn't mention it before. Having been around a lot of helicopter operations, it is VERY helpful to have markers to help them find you (not sure as helpful as orange jackets, tho!)
I've been impressed how often a copter flys right over the top of people, and never sees them.

A huge X with you in the middle, marked with a gatorade fluid or something, makes it very easy to spot. Also a cloth on a pole to help the pilot see the wind, although that was not so much an issue as they were not going to land near you.

Pilots dispatched may not know the local terrain, and it helps to make it easy for them.