Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Cottonwood lakes SPOT rescue of 8-18-09

On Tuesday I was resting at the end of my Solo trek from Onion Valley to Cotton woods Lakes TH (trip report later). I came across a group that was attempting to carry a teenager down from Long Lake whom had had sever altitude sickness. This was a very dangerous task since the trail was rocky and not wide enough for the two people that were needed to carry him. He was not able help at all. Several of us tried to help with the process and after 20 minutes we were able to convince them to use the SPOT that one of the party had to call 911. The person that owned the SPOT was also a teenager and was worried about costs etc. We guided him to make the correct decision and push the 911 button. It took about 2 hours for the helicopter to show up, he flew straight over us, but then proceeded to search the entire cottonwood lakes area. I think that so many people were waving at him that he was not sure which was the correct group. Please don't wave at rescue helicopter unless you are the one needing asssitance. The helicopter flew away for 1/2 hour an then returned, he had to unload equipment so that he could airlift the person. He landed about 200 yds from the sick individual. we had to carry him over boulders etc. and into the helicopter.
The entire process took about 3 hours. The next morning I found out that he had a mild case of pulminary anemae ???? associated with the altitude sickness.

My opinion was that it was the correct decision to push the SPOT because it would have been too dangerous for all and too long to carry him back 6 miles to the trail head. In addition he was nearly unconscious, dehydrated and could not help himself. Apparently this person had spent 2 days at horshoe meadows trying to acclimatize, but the previous day's trek was still very difficult for him and his 50+ pound pack. I think that this is a major factor in the acclimatize process. When you push yourself too hard you are more likely to get Altitude sickness

My questions are 1) where did the helicopter come from, and is there ant cost related to flying the person out. Were there any other options?

dont, was this a group of 3 17-year old boys out of Orange County? I hiked Cottonwood Pass on the 17th and spent quite a bit of time with these 3 kids as they struggled up the switchbacks headed for Lake # 6. One kid was backpacking for the first time and clearly had AMS going on. He looked really rough the afternoon of the 17th, but he was eating when I left them.

I don't belive it was the same group. This group had about 9 or 10 total people. The night of the 17th they spent at the end of Long lake. It was in the middle of the night that he started to develop signs of altitude sickness. There were several adults with the group, including the mother of the teenager that was sick.

> he had a mild case of pulminary anemae ????

It's "Pulmonary edema"   Sounds like a major case.

yes! you are correct (I didn't have the corret medical term), It looked very severe on the mountain which is why I encouraged them to use the Spot. The report from the Hospital was that it was a "Mild" case. To me there was nothing mild about it

I just try to ignore them completely to not mislead them, but... waving hands over head is telling the pilot to NOT land there. That said, that is what most people THINK they are supposed to do so I can understand pilots checking them all out.

Correct is to stand facing landing zone with back to wind, pointing both arms toward landing zone. Probably better to make the area look obvious, using bright material to lay out a large X, and otherwise make the scene look like someone needs help.

I suspect some SAR folk will tell me if I'm incorrect.
Helicopter Hand Signals from CalFire

I've read that waving one arm means you are ok, two arms means you need help. ???

Highlight (bold) added by me. This is EXACTLY why the notion of charging for SAR (recent story of $25,000 bill to teenager in NH (google Scott Mason))is so dangerous. Cases of AMS can quickly become life threatening (HACE/HAPE, etc.)and become medical emergencies. When you have a subject who cannot function without assistance, appears to have an altered level of consciousness, etc. means you have an emergency.

More (high level) info on HAPE: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_altitude_pulmonary_edema. A better link is @ Climb High

I would strongly encourage everyone to learn and recognize the signs and symptoms of AMS, HACE and HAPE. A person can deteriorate very quickly.

Waiting to call for help could have = a fatality.

A std. distress signal to a helicopter would entail standing in a visible location with your arms open in a V shape above your head. Don't bother with pointing to landing zones, indicating wind direction or anything similar. Unless the pilot knows you (i.e., are part of the local SAR team that works with them regularly) they will figure out where or if they will land. As you experienced, this may entail landing some distance away and moving the patient to the aircraft. Flashing with a mirror (compass anyone?)is also a good method. Someone flashing is probably not waving for fun...

I suspect the helicopter in your case was from the CHP and there would not have been a charge. If a helicopter extraction were not possible due to weather, location, etc. a ground evac would have been coordinated through the local SAR team (Inyo Search and Rescue) based on location. Generally speaking, getting the subject to a lower altitude is almost always a good idea (if you have to gain altitude, i.e., go over a high pass, you may need to reconsider) and may help the subject as well as make rescue easier. The subjects youth and the rapid descent to a substantially lower elevation probably helps account for the rapid recovery or "mild" diagnosis.

Take a wilderness first aid course and you can get some more guidance on recognizing and dealing with emergencies like this.

You made the right call. In the same situation I would have assumed full responsibility for pushing the 911 button if the owner would not (sorta like borrowing a cell phone to call 911). I suspect that the intervention by you and others probably saved this young boy's life.

All, I'm the guy who first emphatically vocalized there was a serious problem somewhere between 11:00 and 11:30 on Tu 8/18/09.

When I came across the 14 year old boy, he had blue lips, gray skin, freezing hands, and was shaking with tremors or convulsions. Within one minute, it was obvious to me this was a very serious case of altitude sickness. I immediately instructed the mom to take the boy down to Horseshoe Meadows and drive him down to Lone Pine. I am not a doctor, but my father is and I'm an experienced hiker/backpacker, so it was clear some form of edema had set in and he needed help ASAP. Also, the boy was not lucid and could not walk on his own.

My wife and I conferred with our two friends, and as a group it was decided that she and I would jam down the shorter trail (South fork, south something?) while our friends stayed with the boy and mom as they proceeded down the main trail. Through shear luck or divine intervention, we ran into some young adults associated with the Golden Trout Camp who were on the phone with someone in Lone Pine who knew the location of some O2 and would call the Sheriff. A member of the Golden Trout Camp set out running back to get the O2 and bring it up to the boy.

Meanwhile, our friends attempted to give the boy some fluid and snacks. He vomitted and his physical conditioned worsened. Soon, the other young boy volunteered that he had one of those distress GPS things. My friend tried without success to get them to push the button.

Dont, I believe you are the hiker I talked to just as you were starting the accent up New Army Pass and you asked if I had left the green Nalgene bottle on the rock. Thanks for helping, I believe everything worked out successfully because of the combination of the direct phone call notification that eventually went to the sheriff and your insistence that someone in the boys group push the button. In this way, the Sheriff got my report of the severe condition as well as the lat/long position.

On a positive note, the boy was released yesterday after spending around two days in the hospital. My wife and I separately talked to the mom on Wed. We trust the boy is in great shape and we will be following up with them in the next two weeks.

Yes, Ray that was me who asked about the green bottle. It's good to hear the rest of the story. I confered with your friends before telling the other teen to push the spot and told the two gentlemen who were trying to carry him down. He did take some convincing, but he made the right decision and knew it once he did it. So was it the spot alert or your contact with the sherrif that got the helicopter up there? The bottom line is that the combined efforts of several good samaritans on the trail made it possible for the boy to be safely rescued. Thank's to all for your input. Hopfully this helps us all in the future.

We must have hiked out before them that morning. That would be the group camped at Long Lake on the 17th who apparently did their dishes in the creek, as there were suds in the water we were using downstream at South Fork Lakes.

HAPE is serious stuff. In July, a climber died from HAPE at less than 11,000 feet during a Mt Langely attempt.

Huh? Where was that reported? Or are you confusing it with the woman who was waiting at the top of Army Pass for her friends to climb Langley and return, and then decided to descend, and slipped and fell in icy conditions???

(I guess this is why Doug, Sr. gets cranky about accident "reports" )

No, not Janice Rea.

Third post down: http://www.summitpost.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=47699&start=15

Much more info on the death @ SuperTopo

So that was the other older hiker in the basin that SAR was called out for at the same time. I think we all got caught up in the woman falling.

I will tip my flask in honor of both of them while i'm there next month.

Dont: I just got off the phone with the Inyo County Sheriff office. The boy was evacuated from Long Lake by a USFS firefighting helocopter contracted out to the Sheriff for fire and emergency responses. He confirmed the cell phone call and SPOT signal arrived at about the same time, with the call providing the necessary information for them to determine what level of assistance was needed and the SPOT signal providing the specific location. I don't know if the boy and his family will get charged for the evacuation or if agencies in CA can charge for such services. Whatever the cost, and whoever bears it, the boy is alive.

Whatever the cost, and whoever bears it, the boy is alive.

THAT is the most important point.

For eight bucks a year, the SPOT insurance policy will cover up to $100k in rescue costs.

So, if anyone from Inyo County SAR reads this, I'd put in a claim to recover costs (if they had the coverage).

The last I knew of the situation on this:

1)The Sheriff of Inyo County is responsible for covering the costs of SAR missions;
2)the SAR team members are unpaid volunteers & some lose wages while away from work on SAR missions;
3)for non-Inyo County residents, the Inyo Sheriff sends the bill to the Sheriff of their county of residence, if they are residents of the USA; but the other Sheriff is not obliged to pay.
4)for foreign visitors, the Inyo Sheriff pays the entire cost.

When I was on Inyo SAR 20 years ago, the Inyo Sheriff would ask surviving victims if they could contribute to the cost of their rescue. Some would donate something, others would not or could not. Often the survivor and/or his or her family or friends would donate to Inyo SAR. Most folks are honest enough to help a little, but not all. We did winter rescue from Echo Col of an employee of Early Winters (remember them?) who, when asked if he could help defray the costs of his rescue, claimed he was unemployed...)

Costs of helicopters provided by the US military or California CHP are covered by taxes, but private contract helo companies, such as the one based in Independence, are paid out of the Inyo Sheriff's budget. Please understand that the use of helicopters is extremely expensive, regardless of who pays for them.

Using helicopters might offend a few enviro-nuts, but if you ever have to be rescued you would certainly appreciate them being used. (Being carried out in a litter for 6 hours down a mountain trail is no joke.)

Support your local SAR team; they put their lives on the line for you.