July 1, 2018, 18-339, #11

Four climber/hikers from San Francisco were hiking from Mt. Conness, to the trailhead at the Saddlebag Lake parking lot when their PLB accidentally sent an emergency activation.  All rescue vehicles, which were at the previous Matterhorn Peak call out, responded.

When the four subjects reached Saddlebag Lake Road., they were met with a large group of Team responders. They were embarrassed but appreciative of the Team's effort. After determining the four subjects were in good condition, the call was ended at 2215. 

Responders were:  Beck(Ops), Pelichowski (IC), Wallace, Buchanan, French, Bush, Zila, Hennes, Haugh, Hagan, Creager, Torrence, Quiring, Hartstrom, Cowan, Greene, Kaufman, Patterson, and Dunne.  The Team volunteered 52 man hours for this call.

July 1, 2018, 18-338, #10

Two 30+ year-old male climbers from San Jose, CA were reported missing while climbing Matterhorn Peak.   The RP had been climbing with the subjects but decided not to summit, and waited for them.  When the subjects failed to show up, RP hiked out and called for assistance.  Base was established at Mono Village at upper Twin Lakes. 

Seventeen members responded.  Four field teams were dispatched to locate the missing climbers.  CHP helicopter H40 also responded and located the climbers.  They were not injured but the flight medic felt it was best to extract the pair and flew them down to Mono Village. 

Responders were:  Beck (Ops), Pelichowski (IC), Hammack L, Wallace, Buchanan, French, Bush, Zila, Hennes, Haugh, Hagan, Torrence, Quiring, Hartstrom, Cowan, Greene, Kaufman, and Patterson.  The Team volunteered 170 man hours for this call.

The LZ for the subject retrieval

Delivery to Mono Village

June 28, 2018, 18-328, #9

At 1244, a San Diego woman notified the Mono County Sheriff’s Office of SPOT activations she had received from her husband.  She stated that her husband, brother-in-law, and two nephews were camping, hiking, and fishing in the area of Green Lake. Her husband's SPOT had been activated 4 times at 1154, 1158, 1243, and 1254. 

The four coordinates were moving away from the trailhead toward West Lake. She was concerned because her husband had recently been diagnosed with high blood pressure and was on new prescription medications. The SAR Team was called out at 1333, and 12 members responded, climbed up 1700 feet toward West Lake in 3 miles, and located the party at 1619. 

There were no reported injuries, and no assistance needed. The SPOT device was inspected, and showed the flap over the emergency activation button was loose, likely causing the device activations. 

Responders were:  Beck (Ops), Hansen (IC), Hagan, Creager, Kaufman, Bush, Patterson, Endo, Greene, Rea, Haugh, Wallace, and Buchanan.  The Team volunteered 51 man hours for this incident.

June 24, 2018, 18-318, #8

On Sunday morning, June 24, 2018 at 11:23 AM, the Team was called out for rescue of a 25-year old woman from Massachusetts who had sustained a possible broken ankle at Crystal Crag in the Mammoth Lakes basin.  She and a friend had almost summited the crag when a boulder dislodged and struck her ankle.  Her friend and other climbers lowered her off the crag to the base, while the Team assembled and hiked in with equipment to extract her from the backcountry. 

Low angle lowering down the snowfield

She was transported by wheeled litter to the SAR team staging location at Lake George.  Her friend transported her to Mammoth Hospital for treatment.

Rolling out to the trailhead

Responders were:  Greene (Ops), M. Hansen (IC), Torrence, Hennes, Kaufman, Wallace, Cowan, Guffey, Bush, Endo, Haugh, Quiring, and Rae.  The Team volunteered 57 man hours for this call.

June 19, 2018, 18-307, #7

At 1115 on Tuesday June 19, the Team was called out in aid of a 70 year old Bishop woman who was reported to have an injured leg after a fall above Emerald Lake.  Ten Team members responded to the Emerald Lake trailhead and hiked in, located the subject in Sky Meadows at 37.57645, -118.98917, and assessed and packaged the patient for transport. 

The Sheriff’s Office requested helicopter aid, and a SH-60 Seahawk crew from Lemoore Naval air station arrived quickly and transported the subject to Mammoth airport, where Mono County Paramedics transported her to Mammoth Hospital for treatment. 

Responders were: Beck (Ops), Pelichowski (IC), Torrence, Bush, Ackerman, Greene, Thompson, French, Cowan, Quiring, and Hennes.  Of interest to team members is the fact that the subject is the wife of a former Team member in the June Lake Mountain Rescue Team days.  The Team volunteered 48 man hours on this call.

May 30 & 31, 2018, 18-265, #6

At 2115 on the night of May 30, the Team was called out to search for a missing 76 year old man who had hiked over Mammoth Pass to fish in the San Joaquin river, but had not returned to his car at Horseshoe Lake. 

He left his companions in the afternoon, intending to hike back to Horseshoe Lake alone.  His companions called 911 after failing to find him.  Ten Team members responded, and sent field teams to search and track over Mammoth Pass to McLeod Lake and on down to Crater Meadows.  The subject was located at a campsite (37.58525, -119.04841) near Crater Meadows, where he was aided by Pacific Crest Trail hikers.  The SAR team escorted him back to his car, arriving at 0315. 

Responders were:  Beck (Ops), Reigle (IC), Hagan, Torrence, Kaufman, Wallace, Patterson, Hennes, Eimen, Endo, and Brodbeck.  The Team volunteered 82 man hours on this call.

May 10, 2018, 18-239, #5

At 1500, the team was called out in aid of a local 29 year old mountain guide with a dislocated hip in the vicinity of Matterhorn Peak at 38.10710, -119.376091.  15 team members responded, and 4 field teams were sent in from the Twin Lakes trailhead. 

The subject was reported to be located below the snow level, but this turned out to be false information, so field teams were recalled to get ice axes and crampons for safe glacier travel.  Helicopter aid was requested, and a Blackhawk crew from LeMoore NAS was able to fly in the dark, and during a short break in the bad weather was able to extract the subject.  He was transferred to Medic 7 in Bridgeport, and taken to Mammoth Hospital for treatment. 

Responders were:  Hammack and Beck (Ops), Pelichowski (IC), Hartstrom, Kaufman, Wallace, Haugh, Quiring, Bush, Eimen, Beechan, Buchanan, Endo, Lyon, Creager, Case, and Kallemeyn..  The Team volunteered 120 man hours on this call.

March 3, 2018, 18-92 #4

At 1655, immediately following the finish of the avalanche probing call on Mammoth Mountain, the Team was assigned to respond in aid of two snowboarders and one skier who had called 911 and requested assistance because they were in very deep snow and didn't know where they were located. 

They had started at Lake Mary, intending to finish in Old Mammoth but got into deep snow where the snowboarders had difficulty continuing and were stranded at 37.627, -118.999 near the Valentine Reserve.  Thirteen Team members responded for 2-1/2 hours with two rescue trucks and two snowmobiles, located the subjects and provided snowshoes for the snowboarders.  They were escorted out where they were met by Mono County Paramedics, and refused medical care. 

Responders were: Barnum (Ops), Pelichowski (IC), Torrence, Buchanan, Carole Schilz, Brad Schilz, Kaufman, Bucklin, Cowan, Woods, Tonseth, Case, French, and Bush.  33 Team man hours.

March 3, 2018, 18-91, #3

On Saturday morning March 3 at approximately 1015, Mammoth Mountain Ski Patrol was performing routine avalanche mitigation work in a closed area when a large avalanche released on the Climax ski run, and traveled down Upper Dry Creek and terminated at the bottom lift terminal of High Five Express [Chair 5]. 

The powder cloud from the avalanche extended about 100 meters into an area open to the public, where two guests were partially buried. Both were able to immediately free themselves without serious injury.  Additionally, employees working at the bottom of the closed lift were partially caught, but freed themselves quickly. Ski Patrol was on scene with initial rescue efforts within moments, and search operations began immediately.

Ski Patrol led a six-hour search, which included 200 employees and first responders, including the Mono County Sheriff SAR Team that was called out at 1030.  Fifteen Team members responded to probe and beacon-scan the avalanche debris in search of any buried victims.  None were found and the Mountain returned to normal operations the next day. 

Responders:  Beck (Ops), Pelichowsky (IC), Hansen (IC), Carole Schilz, Kaufman, Buchanan, Brad Schilz, Bush, Traxler, Barnum, Vianzon, Woods, Cucura, Cowan, Case, Kallemeyn, Tonseth, and Bucklin.  The Team volunteered 130 man hours for this call. 

January 14 & 15, 2018, 18-30, #2

At 2357 on Sunday January 14, the Mono County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue (SAR) Team was called out for rescue of a 20 year old man from Hayward, CA, who was reported overdue from a climb of White Mountain Peak. 

He and the companion RP departed from Black Eagle Camp, but the RP turned back short of the summit, and later reported to 911 that the subject had communicated via cell phone that he had slipped and fallen 15 feet and was unable to hike down to his car. 

The Team responded with five rescuers, 3 rescue trucks, and a Polaris Ranger ATV.  By the time the Polaris crew reached the subject’s car, he had managed to hike down unassisted, though painfully.  He was followed down to Base, where he refused medical assistance.  Due to the remote location, Team vehicles logged a total of 550 miles. 

Responders were: Beck (Ops), Pelichowski (IC), Torrence, Case, Luke Hammack, and Wallace.  The Team volunteered 46 man hours for this call. 

January 1, 2018, 18-3, #1

At 12:15 PM the Mono County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue (SAR) Team was called out for rescue of an injured ice climber.  A 64 year old Mono County man fell about 40 feet while climbing ice at Chouinard Falls in Lee Vining Canyon (37.94113, -119.22550). 

Five SAR team members hiked down from the green bridge on the Hwy 120 Tioga Pass road, while two more were lowered from CHP helicopter H40.  The subject was placed in a litter and carried to a location where a helicopter hoist was done by CHP helicopter H40.  He was transferred to Care Flight at Lee Vining airport, and flown to Reno for treatment. 

Responders were:  Beck (Ops), Pelichowski (IC), Kaufman, Bush, Guffey, Greene, Creager, Thompson, Torrence, and Traxler.  The Team volunteered 56 man hours for this call.