September 3, 2018, 18-496, #28

Injured Climber 3rd Pillar of Dana

At 1310 the Team received a call for a 38 year old climber from Alameda, CA with a reported fractured ankle at the bottom of the last pitch of the 3rd Pillar of Mt. Dana.

The Team responded to Lee Vining airport anticipating an air insertion, but all air resources were reporting as unavailable or available with significant delay, so a hike in was necessary.

The field teams drove to Tioga Lake, and started up the use trail toward the summit of the 3rd pillar. As soon as the first three arrived, a main and belay were constructed, and upon the arrival of the second three, a lowering commenced.

A Team member was lowered with a litter over the edge of the 700' cliff to the subject. The subject was packaged, and as other members of the field team arrived, a raising was begun with a 7:1 mechanical advantage. The litter stuck briefly at the edge, but was vectored successfully over the lip.

Image provided by the flight crew of H40 who flew in to extract the subject

It's a long way up...

CHP helicopter H80 arrived from Apple Valley and landed on the Dana Plateau. The litter was carried to H80; the subject was flown to Lee Vining, and Mono County Paramedics transported him to Mammoth Hospital for treatment. H80 returned to retrieve a crewman.

CHP H80 waiting to transport our subject

The Team sent another member over the edge to the subject's partner who was still on the face about 100' from the summit blocks. The Team conducted the second raise to bring up the subject's partner, then all systems were demobilized, and all field teams hiked out to Tioga Lake, with most of the walk in the dark with periods of rain. The operation was terminated at 2151 hours.

Hiking out...

IC: Pelichowski Ops Leader: Beck Responders: Quiring, Kaufman, Bush, Torrence, Rea, Greene, Halferty, Cowan, Endo, and Hammack

100.9 person hours volunteered for this call

On-Scene Coordinator: Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue