Climber With Injured Ankle, Incredible Hulk, Little Slide Canyon
At 2001 hours, the Team was called to assist an injured climber below the Incredible Hulk. It was reported that the climber had fallen on the 10th pitch of Venturi Effect (5.12c), injuring his ankle on a small ledge. The subject and his partner retreated via rappels back to the base of the Hulk.
Rescue base was established at the west end of Mono Village. As rescue operations was assembling teams, a second call came in, and two team members were reassigned. The remaining members—six personnel comprising Team 1—departed the trailhead with medical gear, light rigging equipment, and the wheeled litter. Due to darkness, air resources were unavailable.
On the Ice Lake Pass “trail” the use trail to access Little Slide Canyon
On the Ice Lake Pass “trail” the use trail to access Little Slide Canyon
Team 1 made contact with the subject and his partner at 0130 hours, assessed the injury, and discussed potential extraction plans for the morning. The subject and his partner went back to sleep for a few hours while Team 1 rested or “shiver-bivied” until dawn.
Shiver-bivy!
Due to the diffcult terrain in the vicinity of the the Hulk, a ground extraction without air support was considered an undesirable option, likely requiring a full day, more rescuers, and specialized rigging equipment. Operations, in coordination with Team 1, began working on securing the requested resources in the event air operations were unavailable.
First light on a chilly morning.
Scouting possible descent routes.
Considering extrication options.
The next morning, at 0730 hours, CHP - Central Division Air Operations Helicopter H42 accepted the mission with an ETA of 70–90 minutes. Team 1 splinted and packaged the subject, then littered him from their camp to a proposed landing zone (LZ) to await the helicopter.
Transporting the subject to the landing zone for pickup by H42
H42 flew a reconnaissance pass, then headed to Bryant Field in Bridgeport to offload gear. Satisfied with the LZ during the recon, they opted to land rather than perform a hoist. Team 1 loaded the subject into H42, and he was transported to Bridgeport and transferred to Mono County Medic 7 shortly thereafter.
CHP Helicopter H42 dropping in to pick up the subject.
All teams exited the field, and the operation was terminated at 1249 hours on Sunday, August 3rd.
IC: Rhoads, Pelichowski Ops Leader: Beck Responders: Kelly, Bush, Patterson, Haugh, Quiring, Barker, Tardy, Anderson, Brownlee, Huizingh, Senior
On-Scene Coordinator: Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue