September 30-October 1 2023 23-480 #22

At 1450 hours the Team was called for a mutual aid to assist Madera County with a male hiker with an injured ankle near Garnet Lake, and with injuries sustained by crewmembers of a Naval Air Station Lemoore MH-60S Seahawk helicopter when their aircraft impacted the terrain.

Madera initially was responding to the call for the male with an injured leg and requested NAS Lemoore fly to the location and retrieve the subject directly.  While in the immediate vicinity, working to make the pickup, the aircraft failed to maintain adequate separation from the terrain, injuring 2 of the 4 crew members and disabling the aircraft.

MOSAR rescue base was established at Minaret Vista.  Field team 1 left rescue base and arrived at the Agnew Meadows Trailhead, where they remained pending the arrival of Field Team 2 with additional gear and equipment.  When Team 2 arrived at the trailhead, gear was distributed and Team 2 was absorbed into Team 1. 

The new Team 1 left the trailhead at approximately 1630 hours. Yosemite Search and Rescue (YOSAR) was also requested for mutual aid, and agreed to send a team of 8, along with an additional wheeled litter.

At approximately 1640 hours the new Field Team 2, consisting of 2 MOSAR members, departed the Agnew Meadows Trailhead, followed closely by Field Team 3 with 3 MOSAR members, between them carrying an additional wheeled litter and other equipment. 

Team 1 arrived at the accident site at 1810 hours, found that the crash subjects had been treated and stabilized, and packaged the most seriously injured of the 3, the hiker that had initially been injured.  Field Team 4 left the Agnew Meadows Trailhead at approximately 1820 hours.

Team 1 began the transport of their subject via wheeled litter while other field teams were still enroute at 1835 hours. Team 2 was enroute with the litter handles for the Team 1 litter and the field teams met at approximately 1850.  

YOSAR departed the Agnew Meadows Trailhead at 1838 hours.  As Team 1 descending met Team 4 coming in, the teams were reconfigured to assist in the steep uphill stretch to the trailhead. Teams 1 and 4 continued with the first litter carry out.

Team 2 arrived at the accident site, packaged one crewmember into the litter, and with the assistance of recently arrived Team 3 began the transport of the second subject.  The remaining injured crewmember elected to walk, and shortly thereafter YOSAR joined teams 2 and 3 on the return.  The injured crewmember who was walking was unable to keep the pace of litter crew and required assistance.  The 2 MOSAR members assisting the injured crewmember and the rest of the flight crew were designated as Team 5 for tracking.

Team 1 returned to the trailhead at 2150 hours, and transferred the subject to the care of Mono County Medics. Three MOSAR members from the original Team 1, redesignated Team 1B, returned to the field to meet Team 5 and assist in the carryout of the second injured crew member who was walking out. 

Team 1B met Team 5 at 2305 hours, packaged the second injured crewmember for the final carryout.  Team 2 with Subject 2 arrived at the trailhead at 0030 hours, and Subject 2 was transferred to the care of Mono County Medics.  Team 5 accompanied by Team 1B arrived shortly after at 0035 hours with Subject 3 who was also transferred to the care of the medics. 

The operation terminated at 0106 hours.

IC: Rhodes, Pelichowski  Ops Leader: Patterson  Responders: Buchanan, Wallace, Kaufman, Knecht, Brownlee, Lipman, Trainor, Creager, Senior, Cornelius, Bush, Trott, Haugh, Huizingh

September 28, 2023 23-475 #21

At 1519 hours, the Team was called for mutual aid to assist Inyo County SAR with a reported boulder entrapment near Lamarck Col. Four MOSAR team members responded to the Inyo SAR posse hut, but were not provided a field assignment.

The subject’s hiking partner was able to extract him prior to the arrival of any SAR assests, and the injured subject was loaded into an Air National Guard Chinook helicopter for a flight to the Bishop Airport, but his condition worsened considerably on the way, and he was instead flown directly to Fresno for definitive care.

Mono IC: Belcher Mono Ops: Bush Responders: Brownlee, Thompson, Lipman, Senior

August 29, 2023 23-413 #20

At 0911 hours the Team was called to assist in locating a 64-year-old male hunter who had become separated from his party on the east side of the White Mountains in the vicinity of Furnace Creek.

Prior to the Team’s arrival at search base, the hunter was reunited with his group. All responders terminated their response, and the call was canceled at 1112 hours.

IC: Gillespie Ops Leader: Bush Responders: Haugh, Quiring, Cucura, Torrence, Lipman, Wilson, Kelly, Huizingh

August 23, 2023 23-401 #19

At 2002 hours the Team was called to assist in locating a 21-year-old male and a 56-year-old male who had departed together from Horseshoe Lake and became separated later in the day. Their intent was to hike to the Mammoth Crest and then to Deer Lakes, Duck Lake, and exit at the Coldwater trailhead.

The Team staged at the Horseshoe Lake parking lot and six field teams were sent out to different trailheads in the Lakes Basin. The reporting party (RP) who was wife and mother to the missing hikers, was able to establish communication via SMS message with her son, and he communicated his location as indicated by the GPS receiver on his phone. Two field teams were nearly, and they were directed to the location.

There had been no communication with the second hiker, but fortunately he was located by a field team on the Duck Pass Trail between Skelton and Barney Lakes. He was escorted out to the trailhead, and transported to search base.

Hiking out with our subject near Skelton Lake. Image by J. Lipman

Shortly thereafter, the first hiker located hiked out in the company of the two field teams that had been in the area. The operation terminated at 2334 hours.

IC: Rhoads, Salazar Ops Leader: Beck Responders: Lipman, Baron, Buchanan, Thompson, Senior, Quiring, Haugh, Trainor, Brownlee, Childers, Hunsinger, Huizingh, Anderson, Gerber, Patterson, Salay, Wallace

August 19-22, 2023 23-393 #18

At 1200 hours the Team was called for a mutual aid request from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office for a possibly missing or injured 58-year-old male hiker traveling from Devils Postpile to Lake Tahoe. The subject was carrying a satellite tracking device, and his wife was monitoring his progress remotely.

At approximately 1830 hours on Friday August 18, the subject's wife noted the subject's InReach device had ceased moving. At approximately 0430 hours on Saturday August 19, the subject's wife noted that the device still had not moved. It was determined that the device had registered a top speed of 28 miles per hour and was sending a signal near the base of some cliffs. The SOS function on the device had not been activated.

The Madera County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from CHP helicopter H40, but shortly after arriving in the seach area H40 was reportedly called to other duties. Madera then requested mutual aid from the Mono County Sheriff’s Office, and the Team was called out, and staged at Minaret Vista.

Helicopter from Lemoore Naval Air Station searching for subject. Image by J. Lipman

Lemoore Naval Air Station was also contacted and accepted the mission, agreeing to send a Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk derivative. While the helo was on the way, two field teams with 8 personnel departed for the subject’s last reported position.

Field Team 2 leaving Agnew Meadows Trailhead. Image by J. Lipman

Field Team 2 just below Shadow Lake. Image by J. Lipman

Field Team 1 was a hasty team tasked with traveling to the reported coordinates as quickly as possible, and Field Team 2 followed behind with additional gear and the direction to interview other hikers on the trail, campers alongside the trail, and campers in the vicinity of Ediza Lake.

Field Team 2 arriving at Ediza Lake. Image by J. Lipman

Approximately 3.5 hours after leaving base Team 1 arrived at the coordinate location, and the subject was found deceased below a steep rock headwall above Iceberg Lake. Darkness was approaching, and all field teams were directed to return to base. The location and outcome were reported to a representative of the Madera County Sheriff’s Office.

Later that evening, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office again requested mutal aid assistance in the recovery of the subject. On Sunday August 20 two team members were on their way to Minaret Vista to meet CHP helicopter H40 for a mission to extract the subject, but H40 had to cancel the mission due to low visibility in the area, especially at Minaret Vista.

On Monday August 21 the Madera County Sheriff’s Office again called the Mono County Sheriff’s Office to request mutual aid to recover the subject. CHP H40 was unable to fly on Monday due to weather, but on Tuesday August 22 CHP H40 landed at Minaret Vista at 0814 hours, loaded two team members and gear, and flew to Iceberg Lake where they landed and shut down.

Mono SAR field team departing Minaret Vista for subject extraction. Image by B. Beck

The field team ascended the slope to the subject, packaged him in a Sked litter, and lowered him with a rope system approximately 300 feet down a boulder field and a snowfield. The pilot, flight officer, the subject, and both members of the field team boarded the helo with their rescue gear and flew back to Minaret Vista. Both team members offloaded, and H40 flew directly to Madera with the subject for delivery to the Madera County Sheriff’s Office. The operation terminated at 1212 hours on Tuesday August 22.

Preparing to approach the subject location above Iceberg Lake (frozen in the background). Image by C Brownlee

Building an anchor to lower the subject. Image by C. Brownlee

IC: Gillespie, Salazar Ops Leaders: Bush, Beck, Thompson Responders: Pavlovsky, Baron, Dickau, Kaufman, Wilson, Wallace, Brownlee, Irving-Ruffing, Anderson, Lipman, Huizingh, Senior, Hunsinger, Shelov, Torrence, Salay, Cucura.

August 16, 2023 23-386 #17

At 1630 hours the Team was called to assist in locating a 22-year-old male hiker separated from his hiking party east of Shadow Lake on the Shadow Creek Trail. The prearranged meeting place was to be Red’s Meadow Pack Station.

The Team staged at Minaret Vista, and field teams were shuttled down to several trailheads around Devils Postpile National Monument. Shortly thereafter the subject was located at the Soda Springs Campground, and he was reunited with his party at Red’s Meadow. The operation terminated at 1807 hours.

IC: Gillespie Ops Leader: Bush Responders: Buchanan, Salay, Kaufman, Hunsinger, Lipman, Pavlovsky, Huizingh, Anderson

August 11, 2023 23-371 #16

At 1028 hours the Team was called to assist a 67-year-old male hiker with a reported anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in the vicinity of Snow Lake near the Tuolumne County border. CHP helicopter H40 was contacted, and they accepted the mission to assist with subject transport.

The Team responded to the Mono Village campround at Upper Twin Lake Bridgeport and established rescue base. Prior to the departure of field teams, CHP H40 reported that they had successfully extracted the subject, and would fly him to Mammoth-Yosemite airport for transfer to Mono County Medics.

The operation was terminated at 1237 hours.

IC: Pelichowski Ops Leader: Beck Responders: Quiring, Buchanan, Torrence, Baron, Kelly, Senior, Haugh, Thompson

July 20-21, 2023, 23-330 #15

At 1900 hours the Team was called to assist a 53-year-old and a 17-year-old, both male, who were hiking near Garnet Lake and found that the trail conditions were beyond their skill level. The notification was received from a Garnin Inreach satellite device. It was determined that they were equipped to spend the night in place, so the response was postponed until the next morning.

At 0733 hours the next morning (July 21), the Team was called to respond to Minaret Vista. From there, a field team of 5 members traveled to the Agnew Meadows trailhead and began hiking toward the subjects. CHP helicopter H40 was also responding from Fresno, CA. H40 landed at Minaret Vista to offload equipment to increase their load-carrying capability.

Prior to the arrival of the field team at the sujbect’s location, H40 was able to load them on board and fly them to Minaret Vista. In order to expedite the retrieval, H40 left a crew member on site, then returned to collect the crew member before returning to Fresno. The field team was instructed to return to base. The operation terminated at 1155 hours.

CHP H40 overflying the filed team on the way to extract the subjects. Image by J. Lipman

IC: Gillespie Ops Leader: Bush, Haugh, Beck Responders: Lipman, Cucura, Huizingh, Torrence, Baron, Salay, Dickau, Quiring.

July 18, 2023, 23-321 #14

At 1927 hours the Team was called to assist a 23-year-old male hiker/camper iwth symptoms of AMS near Crystal Lake and Crystal Crag. Rescue Base was established in the parking lot of Wood’s Lodge near Lake George, and 3 field teams left base to locate the subject.

A field team member on the trail above Lake George. Image by J Lipman

Lake Geoarge and Lake Mary just before sunset. Image by J Lipman

Field team member nearing Crystal Lake just prior to sunset. Image by J Lipman

As the field teams arrived at the subject’s camp, a medical assessment was completed, and the subject was found to be tachycardic, with low blood pressure, and on oxygen saturation level of only 71%. The subject was treated with oxygen and electrolytes, and packaged in the wheeled litter for transport.

There was still considerable snow in the area, and as the field teams began the descent to Rescue Base, it became necessary to establish running belays for the safety of the subject and the field team members attending the litter. Mono County medics were called to base, and as the descent was slower than expected, and the subject’s condition was serious, they began hiking up the trail to meet the field teams.

The medics treated the subject and transport to base continued, arriving at 2320 hours The subject was transported by the medics to Mammoth Hospital. The operation terminated at 2340 hours.

IC: Gillespie Ops Leader: Patterson Responders: Hunsinger, Buchanan, Torrence, Kaufman, Lipman, Huizingh, Anderson, Cowan, Romanova, Senior, Salay, Baron, Brownlee

July 8, 2023, 23-307 #13

At 1805 hours the Team was called to assist a 15-year-old male subject with reported symptoms of appendicitis at a location near Lane Lake and Roosevelt Lake. While the Team was on the way to the staging area at the Leavitt Meadows Campground, contact was made with a Nevada Division of Forestry helicopter that was working on fire suppression out of Bryant Field Airport in Bridgeport. This resource had just been released from fire duties, had hoist capabilities, and was available to assist.

The NDF helo arrived at the location just as the Team was staging at Leavitt Meadows, and was able to extract the subject, and deliver him to Mono County EMS staged at the Sonora Junction Caltrans station. The operation was terminated at 1936 hours. IC: Belcher Ops Leader: Beck Responders: Patterson, Quiring, Brownlee, Wallace, Bush, Buchanan, Mayernick, Lipman, Kelly, Blackman, Haugh, Cucura, Kaufman, Anderson, Torrence

July 3, 2023, 23-298 #12

At 1534 hours the Team was called to assist in the recovery of a 30-year-old female swimmer/tuber found deceased in a waterway below Grant Lake. The Team staged at the 395/158 north intersection, and a Sheriff’s Office drone was able to confirm the location that had been determined by a member of the Lee Vining Volunteer Fire Department.

A field team of 3 entered the stream and was able to retrieve the remains, which were turned over to the Mono County Sheriff/Coroner. The operation was terminated at 1809 hours. IC: Belcher Ops Leader: Bush Responders: Wallace, Childers, Quiring, Anderson, Knight, Brownlee, Torrence, Blackman, Buchanan, Patterson, Cucura

June 21, 2023, 23-269 #11

At 1258 hours the Team was called to assist in the search for an unknown number of overdue climbers with the stated goal of climbing on the Incredible Hulk in Little Slide Canyon. The number of overdue climbers was later determined to be two.

Search base was established at the Barney Lake Trailhead at the west end of Mono Village in the Bridgeport-Twin Lakes area. Field team one departed as a hasty team to search the immediate climbing area, and they ran into snow a couple of miles in. They attached skins to their skis and continued the ascent toward the Hulk.

Avalanche debris across the trail early in the approach. Image by J. Lipman

An alternate log crossing for Robinson Creek - the normal log crossing was underwater due to high spring snowmelt. Image by J. Lipman

Additional avalanche debris on the use trail after crossing Robinson Creek. Image by J. Lipman

Field team two followed shortly thereafter with the intent to conduct their snow travel with snowshoes. Field team two also carried a camera drone, and deployed this resource just down-canyon of the base of the Hulk. The drone was used to search the climbing routes, but no climbers were located.

Field team three also carried skis, and skied from the snowline toward the Hulk. Just prior to team 3’s arrival in the search area, field team one established voice contact with the search subjects at 1850 hours. Field team 3 verified that the couple were the subjects reported overdue, and the subjects departed the area with field team 1. All teams were instructed to return to base. Field team 1 and field 3 team joined, and with the subjects, returned to base, arriving shortly after field team 2.

Field team one on the descent of Little Slide Canyon. Image by J. Lipman

Still deep snow and lots of places to fall in. Image by J. Lipman

The subjects, a male and a female from Spain, had been reported overdue by personnel at the Mono Village campground as they had paid to park for June 16-18, and their rental vehicle was still in the parking lot on June 21. The climbers were not fluent in English, but explained that due to high winds during their stay at the Hulk curtailing their climbing activity, they decided to lengthen their stay, and did not consider themselves overdue. The operation terminated at 2142 hours.

IC: Rhoads, Pelichowski Ops Leader: Beck Responders: Anderson, Brownlee, Lipman, Kelly, Irving-Ruffing, Cucura, Quiring, Endo

May 29, 2023 23-### #10

At 1047 hours the Team was called to assist a female kayaker who had overturned and was stranded on a rock in the creek at an unknow location south of Silver Lake. Prior to the Team’s arrival at rescue base, the subject was assisted to shore, possibly by June Lake Fire. The operation was concluded at 1112 hours.

IC: Belcher Ops Leader: Beck/Haugh Responders: Quiring, Evans, Wallace, Anderson, Knight, Lipman, Kelly

May 27, 2023 23-### #9

At 1305 hours the Team was called to assist in the search for a missing 13-year-old male with autism at the north end of June Lake. Before any of the team members had arrived at the search base, the subject was located and reunited with his parents. The operation concluded at 1318 hours.

IC: Rhoads Ops Leader: Beck Responders: Haugh, Lipman, Kelly

March 3, 2023 23-073 #8

At 1458 hours the Mono County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Team to extract an individual suffering from anxiety in a snow-bound cabin at Lower Twin Lake Bridgeport. Prior to the latest series of cold and wet winter storms, a family of 4 had made thier way to their cabin, and then became snow-bound as the winter storms rolled in and dropped many feet of snow.

CHP H40 was contacted, and agreed to take the mission. H40 flew to the Bridgeport Valley and picked up one team member at the intersection of Twin Lakes Road and Hunewill Ranch Road, and flew to the subject location. The team member was hoisted down, and he assisted two of the 4 person group in donning the screamer harness and hoisting up to H40.

Those two were flown out, and H40 returned and picked up the team member and delivered him back to base. The operation concluded at approximately 1715 hours.

IC: Pelichowski Responders: Hartstrom, Creager (Beck by remote)

March 2, 2023 23-072 #7

At 1038 hours the Team was called to assist Lee Vining Fire with an injured male snomobiler in the Aspen Grove Campground in Lee Vining Canyon. The rider was reporting a shoulder injury. Lee Vining Fire responded and sent one rider on a personal machine to locate and assess the injured party while MOSAR was on route to rescue base on Highway 120 near the USFS station. The highway was not cleared beyond this point.

When the Team arrived, Lee Vining Fire had already begun extracting the subject, and the Team waited until the subject was safely out before terminating their response, The subject later reported a dislocated shoulder. The operation terminated at 1217 hours and the Team returned to the Mammoth Lakes SAR Facility.

IC: Pelichowski/Rhoads Ops Leader: Beck/Patterson Responders: Quiring, Knight, Torrence, Cucura, Brownlee, Anderson, Senior, Zila

February 25, 2023 23-069 #6

At approximately 0900 hours the Mono County Sheriif’s Office requested assistance in locating stranded motorists who had proceeded past the road closed sign on the Benton Crossing Road and became stuck in the deep and drifted snow.

A field team of 4 snomos departed from near the Green Church and followed the snow-covered road. They encountered several stuck vehicles and 17 stranded motorists. They coordinated with Inyo County who had a snowcat in the area to recover all stranded motorists.

After approximately 5 and one half hours in the field, the field team returned to base, and the operation was terminated at 1630 hours.

The Mono County Sheriff’s Office posted the following on social media shortly thereafter:

The roads are closed. All of them. There is no alternate route, back way, or secret route. It's a blizzard, people. You cannot see your hand in front of your face, let alone a snow stake to guide your way. Stay home. Or wherever you are if you aren't home (and if you're somewhere you shouldn't be, you'll have to sort that out with your significant other - we told you to make good choices).

IC: Gillespie Ops Leader: Patterson Responders: Buchanan, Carlson, Senior, Torrence

February 23, 2023 23-067 #5

At approximately 1350 hours the Team was called to assist with a reported snomobile-tree collision on the A Trail 1/4 mile from where the A Trail crosses Owens River Road. The lone male subject was reported to have serious life-threatening injuries, and a Mono County Medic Unit was summoned and arrived prior to MOSAR.

Other riders in the area were able to transport the medics to the subject. The Team arrived shortly thereafter and a field team of 2 immediately departed on a snomo towing the Rescueboggan over-snow litter. A second field team of 2 snomos went out to transport other first responders back to rescue base.

The subject was quickly packaged and placed in the Rescueboggan along with an attending medic. The subject was transported to the medic unit, and then transported by the medic unit to a Care Flight fixed-wing aircraft at Mammoth-Yosemite Airport for a flight to Renown medical facility in Reno, NV.

IC: Pelichowski Ops Leader: Beck Responders: Anderson, Buchanan, Creager, Endo, Kelly, Knight, Patterson, Roos-Collins, Senior, Torrence

January 28, 2023 23-30 #4

At approximately 1141 hours Mono County Medic 7 unit was dispatched to assist a 46-year-old male homeowner with possible hypothermia at a USFS Cabin in the Glass Creek Tract near Crestview Caltrans Maintenance Station. The access road is not cleared in the winter, and due to inacccessability the medics requested MOSAR support to reach the subject.

Three MOSAR team members responded to Crestview with snowmobiles, but upon their arrival it was determined that the medic crew had hiked into the subject, assessed his condition, and escorted him back to his vehicle at Crestview. The operation was terminated at approximately 1300 hours.

IC: Gillespie Ops Leader: Bush Responders: Evans, Haugh

January 23, 2023 23-024 #3

At 1628 hours the Team was called for an ELT activation reported by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) near Bald Mountain. The AFRCC had received a signal from a 406 mHz Electronic Locator Transmitter (ELT), which communicates coordinates to a satellite constellation, and reported 8 hits on a location. An ELT activation is typically caused by an aircraft accident as the ELT is actived by an inertia switch. The AFRCC provided coordinates and advised that the accuracy should be 400 feet or better. The Team staged at the Deadman Summit recreation parking area, and assembled a field team of six snomobiles and riders.

Shortly after nightfall the field team departed base and navigated to a location within a quarter mile of the AFRCC provided cooordinates. At this point the terrain became too steep for the snow machines, and 5 of the field team members proceeded to the coordinate location via skis, splitboards, and snow shoes.

Near the summit of Bald Mountain where the field team left the snow machines to travel the final quarter-mile on human power. Image by Beck

Upon arrival at the coordinate location, there was no sign of aircraft wreckage or any other human activity. A search area was established with a 400 yard radius, and no wreckage was found. The AFRCC reported taht there had been no aircraft reported as overdue, so the search was terminated, and the field team members ascended the steep snow slope back to their snow machines.

The field team returned to base, debriefed, and the operation was terminated at 2012 hours.

IC: Pelichowski/Belcher Ops Leader: Bush Responders: Beck, Brownlee, Carlson, Haugh, Kaufman, Lipman, Patterson, Quiring, Roos-Collins, Senior