Two Team members interviewed hikers/backpackers who entered or exited the Robinson Creek trailhead about the missing subject. They informed a trail maintenance crew about the missing subject. No clues were obtained.
Responders on August 12 were: Buchanan and Wallace. The Team volunteered 19 man hours on this day.
The Team was called at 1154 to search for a missing 48 year-old male backpacker who was ten days overdue. The backpacker took out a wilderness permit for a backpacking trip to begin on July 25, and exiting on August 1. He planned to backpack from Robinson Creek to Crown Lake, Matterhorn Canyon, Smedberg Lake, Seavey Pass and Peeler Lake. He was last seen at the Bridgeport Ranger Station.
On August 11 his father reported him overdue. Eight SAR members responded to the call and responded to the Sheriff’s office in Bridgeport, where base was established. Two members were dispatched to the trailhead at the Mono Village Resort Campground to interview people exiting the trailhead and to post some missing person posters.
A Sheriff deputy and a SAR member drove to the campground to investigate the subject’s vehicle. The car was unlocked and inside they found the subject’s wallet, cell phone, cash, keys and a journal/diary. Additional calls were made to the subject’s parents to gather further information about the subject. At 1740 two YOSAR teams began hiking the same route the subject put on his wilderness permit.
Responders on August 11 were: Greene (Ops), Hansen (IC), Kaufman, Frolio, Bush, Wallace, Buchanan, Case, and Torrence. The Team volunteered 77 man hours on this day.
Tuolumne SAR (YOSAR) requested a mutual aid response for a missing 8 year old hiker in the area of Mono Pass. The boy was described as having brown hair wearing a purple tie-dyed shirt and blue jeans. His name was Ryan.
YOSAR explained that Ryan was hiking with his family near Spillway Lake and had somehow become separated; they suspected that he was continuing on the trail that goes over Mono Pass into the Walker Lake drainage. YOSAR requested that we conduct a hasty search of the trails in the area of Mono Pass and they were sending a ground team over the pass from the west.
Mono SAR Team members were working on a previous call near Devils Postpile, but others were available to respond to this one. Two SAR members started on the west side of Walker Lake and headed west toward the top of Mono Pass.
Patrol Deputies and a single SAR member were checking the several different trailheads and camping areas. Field Team 1 advised over the radio that he had spoken to 2 individuals that had seen Ryan in the area of Little Sardine Lake at approximately 1345 hours. Ryan looked OK and his direction of travel was east towards Walker Lake.
At 1745, dispatch was contacted by a group of campers in the area stating that Ryan had walked into their campsite near the trailhead. At 1805 hours, Field Team 1 advised that he was with Ryan and conducting a medical assessment. Ryan was tired, but happy and healthy. Two YOSAR team members and Ryan were provided a ride back to Yosemite. SAR members were in the field from 1500 to 2000 hours.
Responders were: Pelichowski (IC & Ops), Bush, Kallemeyn, and Hagan. The Team volunteered 21 man hours for this call.
A callout was sent at 1428 in aid of a 33 year old male hiker from La Puente, CA who was injured after slipping on a wet rock and falling while hiking near Minaret Falls in the Devil's Postpile area.
The reporting party stated that he had a compound open leg fracture and they would be moving him out of the water. Two SAR teams were sent from the Postpile Ranger Station up the trail to Minaret Falls to the subject.
When the SAR teams arrived on scene, a Park Ranger Paramedic and EME had already wrapped and splinted the subject's leg. After a medical assessment was performed, the subject was transported, by wheeled litter to an awaiting ambulance at the Ranger Station. Mono County paramedics transported him to Mammoth Hospital.
Responders were: Greene (Ops), Hansen (IC), Fernandez, Carlson, Quiring, Wallace, Buchanan, Torrence, Kaufman, Hennes, and French. The Team volunteered 46 man hours for this call.
A 28 year old local hiker whose legs were pinned between boulders on a high ridge above Duck Lake called 911 and activated his emergency locator beacon. Ten SAR members in four teams were dispatched up the Duck Pass trail.
CHP Helicopter H40 responded, searched the area for a while unsuccessfully, and then landed at the Horseshoe Lake borrow pit to meet with SAR team personnel to discuss additional search areas/strategy. After removing weight/equipment from the helo, the CHP crew flew back to the accident area with a MOSAR member and began searching additional locations based on data received from the subject’s cell phone.
The victim was sighted by H40 at 37.56018, -118.94244 (11,900 feet) with the sun reflecting off the space blanket he was waving. H40 landed at an LZ northeast of Duck Lake and debarked the MOSAR member, who radioed the lead ground team in the Duck Lake area the subject’s location. The other team was then able to see the reflections of the space blanket and began hiking directly to the subject’s location.
The Ops Leader instructed the MOSAR member to leave H40 and join the teams in the field. A helo from Lemoore NAS arrived, in case additional SAR members or heavy lift equipment was need at the scene. It landed at the Horseshoe Lake borrow pit to pick up the heavy lift gear and a Mammoth Lakes Fire Department operator. They then flew to Duck Lake and attempted to insert the operator and lift gear near the accident site.
Due to the high altitude and winds they were unable to do the insert near the accident site, so they then landed next to H40 at the LZ. The on-site team requested additional O2, and H40 was able to lower an O2 bottle provided by the Lemoore team to the ground team. After hoisting down the O2 bottle, H40 flew to Mammoth airport to configure for a hoist/extraction operation.
Mammoth Lakes Fire Department personnel transported H40’s equipment from the Horseshoe Lake pit to Mammoth airport. Being unable to debark the equipment and operator near the accident site, Lemoore helo flew to Mammoth airport to drop off the lift equipment and operator they had pick up at the Horseshoe pit. They then returned to Lemoore NAS.
When team members reached the subject, they assessed his injuries, provided him oxygen, and set up two mechanical advantage pulley systems (5 to 1 and 9 to 1) to move the boulder that was trapping him. Before successfully freeing the subject, several attempts had to be made with minor re-rigging of the pinning boulder in order to achieve a rock lift/pivot that didn’t put more weight on the pinned legs.
CHP H40 preparing to hoist
Just after the subject was freed, H40 returned to the accident site and lowered the Bauman bag and a litter to the ground team. A quick patient packaging was done, and the subject was hoisted up to H40, and flown to Mammoth Airport. Mono County Paramedics transported him to Mammoth Hospital. The call was ended at 2230.
Responders were: Beck (Ops), Hansen (IC), Kaufman, Bush, Hennes, Wallace, Greene, Torrence, Eimen, Quiring, Case, Endo, Cowan, Guffey, Gilbreath, French, and Hagan. The Team volunteered 158 man hours for this call.
A call out was sent at 1219, on August 1, 2018, for a 65 year old female from Granite Bay, CA who was experiencing AMS symptoms, including blue lips, headache, vomiting, lethargy, and tender/swollen abdomen near Big McGee Lake. The subject had difficulty standing and/or walking.
Subject was reported to be camping on the north shore of Big McGee Lake; RP was the subject's daughter. Base was established at McGee Creek Road. & Crowley Lake Road. R3 was parked at the McGee Creek trailhead to act as a communication relay. Three teams, consisting of 7 members, were dispatched to Big McGee Lake.
H40 was requested to assist. After H40 located the subject, they went to base to drop off some equipment in order to reduce weight. After the team members reached the subject, they prepared her for transport to the LZ, about 1/2 mile away.
The subject was littered to the LZ where she was placed in the helo and transported to the Mammoth airport. From there she was transported by ambulance, to Mammoth Hospital. After the Team members arrived back at the trailhead, a de-briefing was held and the call ended at 2230.
Responders were: Greene (Ops), Pelichowski (IC), Bush, Patterson, Kaufman, Guffey, Haugh, Wallace, Buchanan, and Torrence. The Team volunteered 112 man hours for this call.
A call out was sent at 1329 for a 21 year old injured hiker from Oregon, located between Mt. Conness and North Peak at 11,400 feet. The reporting party was climbing near the glacier when he heard someone yelling "Help".
The RP hiked to a higher elevation where he had cell service. He provided the approximate coordinates of the subject's location. Base was established at the Saddlebag Lake parking lot. Three teams for a total of eight members were dispatched to the saddle between Mt. Conness and North Peak. After lots of boulder climbing/scrambling, the teams located the subject. His leg was wedged and trapped between boulders that he unintentionally caused to fall.
Leg entrapment
The team learned that two climbers, who heard the subject's yelling, climbed up to the subject and helped hold him in a somewhat vertical position. They also applied a tourniquet to the subject's leg. Helicopter assistance was requested and a National Guard UH-60 (Blackhawk Guard 823) responded.
The Blackhawk moving in for the extraction
Team members set up three mechanical advantage systems in order to move the boulders away from the subject's leg. Helicopter assistance was requested and a National Guard UH-60 (Blackhawk Guard 823) responded.
The helo crew lowered a medic who made his way to the subject. After extracting the subject's leg from the boulders, the team littered him down to a snowfield where the subject was hoisted into the helo.
Extraction successful!
As the helo flew to the Lee Vining Airport, Team members retrieved all the rigging equipment and began hiking back to base. The two climbers, who assisted the subject, hiked out with the team. The call out ended at 2300.
Responders were: Beck (Ops), Pelichowski (IC), Kaufman, Quiring, Bush, Endo, Dunne, Wallace, Hagan, Luke Hammack, Buchanan, Eimen, and Torrence. The Team volunteered 145 man hours for this call.
A family of four from Santa Maria, CA, hiked up to Heart Lake from the parking lot at Coldwater campground. After they had lunch, the 60 year old subject felt unsteady with an irregular heart rate and that he would not be able to walk out. His son walked out and found someone with a cell phone who called 911 for assistance.
When the SAR Team arrived at the trailhead, the subject and his family were there. The subject was able to walk out unassisted after resting and drinking water.
Responders were: Beck (Ops), Pelichowski (IC), Buchanan, Bush, Haugh, Kaufman, Cowan, Hennes, Dunne, Wallace, and Cucura. The Team volunteered 22 man hours for this call.
A callout was initiated at 1203 for an injured subject due to an equestrian accident near the Golden Gate Mine (38.5139, -119.5317). R1 & R3 were enroute, but the call was canceled at 12:53 since CHP helicopter H24 extracted the subject and transferred him to Mono County paramedics for transport to medical care.
The subject, a 65 year-old male, sustained a head injury when he and his mule parted company. The incident was in Alpine County, and Mono County was requested to assist.
Responders were: Beck (Ops), Pelichowski (IC), Wallace, Patterson, Torrence, Kaufman, and Buchanan. The Team volunteered 21 man hours for this call.
The Team was called out at 1615 for a missing 72 year-old male from San Diego who was hiking near Patricia Lake/Peak area. The subject and his companion (the RP) stopped for a while and then continued hiking. The companion realized he left his GoPro where they stopped, so he hiked back a short distance to retrieve his GoPro. When he returned to where he left his companion (the subject), the subject was gone.
The companion searched for a while and then returned to where their car was parked. Car was still there. He went back to look for the subject but couldn't find him. The companion called for assistance. The SAR team arrived at the Hilton Lakes trailhead and sent a team of four members up the trailhead. A few minutes later, Base received a call from the ICs that they had located the subject driving his car. They interviewed the subject, who had walked out on his own while the field teams were being briefed. They drove him to his campsite to be reunited with his companion.
Responders were: Beck (Ops), Pelichowski & Hansen (IC), Hennes, Gilbreath, Kaufman, Torrence, Eimen, Quiring, and Wallace. The Team volunteered 29 man hours for this call.
At 1137 the Team was called to provide assistance to June Lake Fire and Mono County Paramedics for a carryout of a fallen climber at the Clark Canyon climbing area. The call was canceled two minutes later since the subject had been extracted to the parking area.
Responders were: Endo (others may have responded).
A 37 year old male climber from San Francisco was injured (possible broken ribs) while climbing on 3rd pillar of Mt. Dana with a companion (RP). The RP had cell service and called for assistance. Base was established at the Lee Vining Airport and H-40 was requested.
Team member Hagan, who happened to be on Mt. Dana, reported to base that he was within 900 meters of the subject. He climbed to the top of the 3rd Pillar, where he was able to make contact with the subject, who was 100- 150 feet from the summit, and provided updates throughout the incident. Yosemite's Helicopter 551 took over the airspace and over-flight assessment.
They picked up YOSAR personnel at Gaylor Pit and flew to the Mt. Dana summit. They extracted the subject and companion and flew them to the Lee Vining Airport where they were met by Mono County paramedics, who drove them to Mammoth Hospital.
Responders were: Beck(Ops), Pelichowski (IC), Kaufman, Haugh, Dunne, Torrence, Greene, Rea, Wallace, Quiring, Buchanan, Unsworth, Endo, Creager, Hartstrom, Cowan, and Hagan. The Team volunteered 119 man hours for this call.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.