July 16 & 17, 2026 26-352 #28

Mono SAR Assists Hiker Experiencing Medical Emergency Near Gibbs Lake — Thursday-Friday, July 16th-17th, 2026, 26-352, Op #28

On Thursday, July 16th, at 2152 hours, the Team was paged by the Mono County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) for a report of a 21-year-old hiker experiencing difficulty breathing and chest pain on the Gibbs Lake Trail.

Rescue Base at night. Photo by C. Brownlee.

Rescue Base was established at the Gibbs Lake Trailhead. Rescue Operations deployed a hasty medical team on foot with advanced medical equipment, including oxygen and an AED, while additional teams followed with a litter and supplemental medical supplies. SAR personnel located the subject on the trail and conducted a medical assessment, identifying signs consistent with altitude sickness. Oxygen therapy was initiated, resulting in a significant improvement in the subject's condition.

All teams and subject returning to Base. Photo by C. Brownlee.

After the subject stabilized, rescuers assisted them back to the trailhead while continuously monitoring their condition. The subject remained ambulatory throughout the evacuation and was transferred to awaiting paramedics for continued evaluation and transport.

The operation was terminated at 0115 hours on Friday, July 17th.

IC:  Salazar // Responders (11): Ackerman, Brownlee, Campbell, Cornelius, Glassner, Huizingh, Kelly, Romanova, Salay (Ops), Tardy, Wojciechowski

Volunteer hours: 37.2