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DEM #98-1395 July 23, 1998 |
The Unit was contacted by the Pierce County department of Emergency Management at 12:48A.M. Thursday, July 23rd. The Pierce County sheriff had requested Swift water qualified members to help in the search for a lost 18-year-old who had went inner-tubing on the White River. The subject and four other friends, dressed only in shorts, had decided to escape the heat wave by inner tubing the White River from the Fish Hatchery in Buckley to a highway bridge in Auburn a distance of 12 miles. Around 8:00 P.M. after being on the river for four hours and with darkness fast approaching they decided to pull out of the river at a trail they had spotted. Four of the youths left the river, but the subject sure that Auburn was just around the next bend stayed on the river. After a 45 minute hike up the trail the four friends discovered that they had only gone two miles from where they had started. The subject was at least ten miles from where he thought he was. They called 911.
Six team members responded they were: Chris Berryman, Fran Mcfarland, John Miner, Mike Mixon and Russ Brinton. After initially setting up the search base in Buckley, it was moved to private property along the River two miles below the point last seen. The King County Search Helicopter Guardian One was also contacted. The helicopter was on a search for a lost rafter on the Green River, but came to make a few passes on the White river. Meanwhile, the TMR team had split into one-three person and one two-person team with Chris Berryman staying at search base as OL. Jeff Sharp, Fran Mcfarland, Mike Mixon, hiked down a 150' foot slope two miles below the point last seen (PLS) and searched up the river. John Miner and Russ Brinton were transported to the Muckleshoot Indian reservation approximately 5 miles below the PLS to also search up the river. On its first pass Guardian One did not spot the subject and returned to the search on the Green River. On a second search by Guardian One around 6:00 A.M. the subject was discovered on a gravel bar in the river. The Helicopter landed and retrieved the subject and flew him to the Auburn hospital were he was treated for hypothermia. All team members returned to the search base and released around 6:30 A.M.
Tacoma Mountain Rescue |
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