January 27, 2026 26-046 #6
Injured Skier Below Little Slide Canyon
At 1226 hours the Team was called to assist with an inReach activation involving an injured skier below Little Slide Canyon. A group of two reported that one member of their party fell descending from a bench below the Incredible Hulk, and and sustained a likely broken arm, rendering them unable to self-extricate. Rescue base was established at Bryant Field Airport in Bridgeport.
The Team responded with two rescue trucks, two mountain sleds, three trail sleds, and the Rescueboggan over snow patient transport.
Operations requested air resources, and CHP helicopter H20 out of Auburn accepted the mission. Operations staged a two-person field team to be assigned to the incoming helicopter. Additional members were deployed from Mono Village on SAR sleds to begin an access plan into the Robinson Creek drainage below the slope where the subjects were located.
H20 at Bryant Field Airport, Btidgeport
H20 determined winds and terrain were incompatible for a hoist, as they exceeded 35 knot gusts within the canyon. The field team was loaded, and H20 landed in the valley and ascended to the subjects. The IC advised the subject’s group to continue descending if possible. As the field team approached the landing site, it was determined the subjects had descended through the technical terrain under their own power but required assistance crossing Robinson Creek.
Member of the air-inserted field team traveling to the subject location.
H20 at the LZ
H20 landed and shut down, and the field team accessed the subjects on skis and assisted them across a well-established downstream crossing. The injured subject was loaded into the helicopter and transported to Bryant Field. The field team and a member of the subject’s party exited on skis until they reached the SAR sled team, and were transported back to base.
The sled team arriving to transport the field team and the subject’s companion.
The operation was terminated at 1712 hours.
IC: Belcher Ops Leader: Haugh Responders: Anderson, Brownlee, Gerber, Quiring, Tardy
On-Scene Coordinator: Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue