24
Wednesday, April 26, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
RESCUE: Preparedness
was key to successful
outcome
Continued from page 1
This area in Death Valley
is an arid, desert environment
with extreme temperature
changes ranging from highs
in the upper 80s this time of
year to lows in the 40s and
winds gusting up to 50 mph.
In preparation for this trip, the
group spent time reviewing
and practicing rappel, rope
and anchor techniques, stud-
ied topographical maps and
journals of previous group
trips on this descent, which
included pictorials of the
types of anchors you might
expect to see. Typical anchors
in Hades Canyon are created
using streambed boulders.
Having been to the area
last year, the group had some
experience in planning and
had more than enough rope
to rappel, retrieval rope plus
extra, enough food and water
and appropriate clothing to
spend a night in the canyon
if needed. The group had also
left a note on the dashboard
of the truck at their end-
point noting that their intent
was to be out of the canyon
on Thursday night or Friday
morning as well as informing
friends and family when they
should expect phone contact
indicating they were out of
the canyon.
The hike starts at approxi-
mately 5,475 feet in elevation
at the parking lot, includes
14 rappels and ends near
Bad Water at around 200 feet
below sea level. The group
started their day in the park-
ing lot around 7:15 a.m. on
Thursday, April 13. They
had covered approximately
3,500 feet in elevation and
four miles of linear distance
when around 3:30 p.m. dur-
ing the fourth rappel, Captain
Thornton Brown lost con-
trol of a rappel and suffered
an approximate 40-foot fall.
He was the first of the three
to rappel down. Fire Medic
Millar and Captain Liming
were able to communicate
with Captain Brown, asking
him what he thought his inju-
ries were, and the other two
began their descent down to
help him.
After Fire Medic Millar
and Captain Liming reached
Captain Brown, they did a
complete assessment and
found that the injuries he
sustained would prevent him
from hiking out on his own.
The group spent time working
together to make a decision
on whether or not Fire Medic
Millar would go out alone to
get help or for both Captain
Liming and Fire Medic Millar
to go out together. Because
Captain Brown’s injuries did
not appear life-threatening
and the group had sufficient
water, food and clothing, they
determined it wasn’t critical
for Captain Brown to get out
that night.
They decided the biggest
potential for something more
to go wrong would be for Fire
Medic Millar to go out alone
in case something happened
to him. The group spent time
stabilizing Captain Brown’s
injuries and repositioning him
below an overhang to protect
him from rock-fall. Captain
Brown was left with a down
jacket, more than a gallon of
water and food, and the other
two members of his team pro-
ceeded out of the canyon to
get help around 5 p.m.
After another four rap-
pels, at approximately 8:30
p.m., Fire Medic Millar and
Captain Liming set up a bivy
and spent the night in the can-
yon for safety reasons. The
duo proceeded out of the can-
yon at first light on Friday,
April 14 and contact was
made with local emergency
services at approximately
11:30 a.m. The Inyo County
Search and Rescue and
National Park Service emer-
gency services personnel con-
tacted California Highway
Patrol Inland Division Air
Operations (H-80) for a hoist
rescue immediately after
speaking with Fire Medic
Millar. Fire Medic Millar said
PHOTO PROVIDED
The circled area marks the location from where Captain Thornton Brown
was rescued in an airlift.
“a traditional high-angle rope and was able to fly home
rescue with a ground crew commercially the next day.
would have been an extraor-
Fire Medic Millar said that
dinarily difficult extrication during the trip, “many lessons
involving a great deal of were reaffirmed including:
trained personnel and mul- hope for the best, but prepare
tiple days.”
for the worst; be prepared to
CHP H-80 located Captain stay out at night; carry extra
Brown in what they said was water, food and have appro-
“some of the most inhospi- priate clothing; and think
table terrain” their area has through and take your time in
to offer. H-80 worked their making critical decisions.”
way up the canyon to where
Fire Medic Millar said
Captain Brown was posi- as an emergency response
tioned, and lowered a res- professional, he “under-
cuer from 100 feet to evalu- stands how incredibly effi-
ate and package him for a cient the response was and
hoist. The crew of H-80 had has the utmost appreciation
Captain Brown on the ground for assumed risk that rescue
in Furnace Creek in just over personnel take on with such
four hours of being notified.
work.”
Captain Brown was
The group offered their
assessed by an ambulance sincerest thanks and respect
crew and evaluated at the local to all of the responders for a
hospital in Pahrump, Nevada, job well done.
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