The unit was contacted by the Pierce County Department of Emergency Management on Wednesday night June 10 at 8:06 p.m. A 61 year old kayaker Robert Artus had disappeared on the Carbon River while kayaking with two friends. He and his friends put their kayaks in the carbon river just below the town of Carbonado and planed to take them out at the highway bridge in Orting. One of the kayakers decided against running the river after he saw the high water flow, the subject and the other kayaker continued on. The subject started down the river first and his friend lost sight of him at a bend in the river. The friend continued on down to the hiway bridge where he was supposed to meet up with the subject, but after a two hour wait with no sign of him he decided to call for help.

The call from DEM was received during the monthly membership meeting and numerous members there responded, so a call-out was not made. The members responding were. Mike Mixon, Jim Andrues, Rob Lutz, Fran McFarland. Chris Berryman, Dave Treber, Phil Pletcher, Duane Perham, Larry and Connie Crum, Ray Ward, Joe Recency, Ed Hrivnak, Jeff Sharp, Lee Tegner, Stan and Angela Kartes. Roger Ternes and Maria Level also arrived at the search base but after the teams had left. (They were disappointed but as it turned out not for long, Editor)

The team members were told to meet at the Carbon River Fish Hatchery on Highway 162 as soon as possible. After meeting at the search base, the Operations Leader Jeff Sharp received a briefing from the Pierce County Sheriff. The plan was to have to teams search the river. One would go to the place where the subject had put in the river and search downstream .The other would cross private property to access the lower portion of the river and search upstream.

The first team consisting of the certified Swift water trained members, would go to the put in point. They were Mike Mixon Jim Andrues, Rob Lutz, Chris Berryman, Ed Hrivnak, Larry and Connie Crum, and Lee Tegner. The second team consisted of Jeff Sharp, Duane Perham, Fran McFarland, Dave Treber. Ray Ward, Joe Rusinko, and Stan and Angela Kartes. Both teams left the Search Base around 10:00 P.M. Then proceeded to their assignments and search both banks of the river until they could see the lights of the other team. This portion of the Carbon is vary narrow with steep sloping walls and swift moving rapids. Both teams had to be careful not to be caught or fall in the river. After four hours of muddy searching with no results, they returned to the search base around 3 A.M. After a debriefing some of the team decided to go home to get some rest before going, to work while seven members stayed to begin the search again at daylight.

Around 9:30 a.m Mr Artus floated into the search base on his own, he had spent the night alone and waited for daylight. He had not seen the search teams and was quite embarrassed at all the fuss. Our team members were recalled and thought they were going home for some much need rest. But fates had other plans for the Tacoma Mountain Rescue Team later that day.

Gus Bush was contacted by the Pierce County Department of Emergency Management at 2:38 p.m. on Thursday June 11th. "Avalanche on Mt. Rainier nine climbers hit, need technically trained personnel for rescue." Mt Rainier had called for 12 high altitude trained members to assisted in the rescue of 9 Climbers (twelve as it turned out), with at least five of them being injured.

Two rope teams of novice climbers being guided by Rainier Mountaineering Inc. had been hit by an avalanche on the Disappointment Cleaver route, just below the nose of the cleaver. The rope teams had been swept over the nose of the cleaver and some were still dangling from ropes.

A page was put out and fifteen members responded. They were Mike Mixon, Fran McFarland, Jim Lewis, Jim Creamer, John Kirkman, Ken Capron, Roger Ternes, Maria Level, Phil Pletcher, Bill Weber, Lee Tegner, Dave Treber, John Miner, and Scott Nicholson. They were told to meet at the Cache at 3:30 p.m. or at the Longmire rangers station as soon as possible. Fifteen members from the Seattle Mountain Rescue council and ski patrol avalanche rescue team and two rescue dog teams responded as well.

Once at the mountain the plan was that they would be flown to the accident scene by an Army Chinook helicopter, but fog had drifted in by the time the crew reached Paradise. It was getting close to sunset which would also ground the helicopter. The Park Rangers decided to have our team climb up to the accident scene from paradise in case the injured had to be carried off the mountain. A team consisting of Jim Lewis, Ken Capron, Roger Ternes, John Kirkman, Jim Creamer, and Fran McFarland started the climb the rest waited at Paradise. They had reached the Pebble Creek area around the 7,200 foot level on the mountain, and just broke out into sunny weather, when the helicopter was able to reach the injured climbers and take them off the mountain. Sadly as it turned out one of the climbers died of hypothermia before he could be rescued. And one female climber was suffering from severe hypothermia after dangling in a waterfall for almost two hours. The rest of the injured climbers received non-life threatening injuries. Our team turned back to Paradise and returned home around 1:00 A.M. Friday.

A little side story to this mission. As most team members know, but some readers may not, besides being the editor of the rucksack I am also the Operations Chairman for the unit. As fates would have it, just as this rescue was starting Mt. Rainier experienced a power outage which took its phone system off line. I found out what it was like to be at the center of a media frenzy. My name and number are on the unit hotline so for two solid hours I was answering calls from the media not only local but national media too. I stuck to only the information that I knew at the time and provided background information as best I could. As a result my name has appeared all over the country, and the Tacoma News Tribune did a whole article on me starting the call-out for this mission.

The Rucksack is also received by a number of rangers at Mt. Rainier, including from what the news and our own team members say is the real hero of the day, Mike (Gator) Gauthier. To Mike and all the Rangers I want to give my congratulations and that of the unit for a job well done.

As I finished putting this issue of the Rucksack to bed the Unit was involved in another rescue on Mt. Rainier. A full report next month.

Call to Order: 19:40 hrs.

BOARD MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:

Gus Bush, Ed Hrivnak, Fran McFarland, Stan Kartes, Chris Berryman, Rob Lutz, Jeff Sharp, Larry Crum, Jim Andrues, Bill Weber.

OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE:

Duane Perham, Tony O'Brien, Wayne Walls, Dave Dahl, Dave Treber, Jim Lewis, John Kirkman, Connie Crum.

The April minutes were accepted as read.

TREASURER'S REPORT: Larry Crum

• Larry read the treasurer's statement.

OPERATIONS REPORT: Gus Bush

• Body recovery on McLellan Butte. See last month's Rucksack for coverage.
• Callout for a search at Stevens Pass. Three hikers (two aged 18, one 19) were missing from Sunday to Wednesday. They were found alive and in good shape on Wednesday before our group had left. No further info was available at the time of this meeting.
• Ed Hrivnak spoke with Snohomish County about using us as a backup for their larger missions.

TRAINING REPORT: Jim Andrues

• Swiftwater was only one day and 9 people attended. Pat Lillie Instructed the class.
• Jeff Sharp is working on obtaining a helicopter for the June training. Details will be announced at the Wednesday general meeting.

EQUIPMENT REPORT:Ken Capron

• There were some missing items from the SAR conference - a flight bag with some belongings in it. If you attended the conference please check your gear to make sure it did not get mixed in.

COMMUNICATIONS REPORT: Stan Kartes

• Stan will also be in charge of the cell phone program. Stan will be submitting a yearly budget for communications.

SAFETY AND EDUCATION REPORT: Chris Berryman

• No Report.

MEMBERSHIP REPORT: Chris Berryman

• Chris has new DEM cards.
• Jaron Spoja voted in at Field Support.

FINANCE REPORT: Bill Weber

• Bill is looking into the can order shipment for the Storm/Survival kits.

AIR OPERATIONS REPORT: Jeff Sharp

• No Report.

OLD BUSINESS:

• The unit climb is a go for the Tahoma Glacier route of Mt. Rainier.
• MRA conference at Mt. Hood. There are no more rooms available at Timberline Lodge. TMR has 3 rooms plus room for 6 in the RV.
• Ed has made arrangements for the Fall Banquet (40th anniversary) for November 20th. He is looking at having a panel of people involved in Mountain Rescue over the last 40 years rather than 1 speaker.
• Ed is having the old (but still beautiful) banner made in 1962 cleaned.
• A motion was passed to spend $ to mount the banner in a case.
• A motion was passed to spend $ on 200 brochures similar to the samples Fran McFarland developed.

NEW BUSINESS:

• Gus will continue to ask for "first person" accounts of missions for the Rucksack.
• Ed will re-order tee shirts and look into other types of clothing that we can put the TMR logo on. (ex. long sleeved tee's).
• Chris Berryman is going to check out using PMSAR's horses as "lawnmowers" for the cache yard. Some additional details need to be worked out.
• Rob Lutz may go to the factory for the "tear-down" of the helicopter engine.

GOOD OF THE ORDER:

• If you have suggestions on good mountaineering/climbing books, let Larry know and he will put them on the website.

Adjourn 21:10 hrs.

Respectfully submitted,



Fran McFarland, Secretary

You've just preformed a rescue and you're in the process of evacuating the subject they look up at you and ask am I going to be all right. What is your next response? Or you come upon an obviously injured subject and instead of greeting you as a rescuer they deny they are hurt and don't need your help. What is your response?

Most people who have been in an accident whether in the city or the backcountry go through five emotional stages. The text in italics is from Tom Miners article in last October's rucksack on the victim's point of view, you can see these five stages in the article.

Denial: This is the first stage, it's the Not Me stage. The subject refuses to believe that they are hurt. It is a defense mechanism that creates a buffer between the shock of the accident and the need to deal with the pain and injury.

I roll forward to unclip the figure 8 and I see my right foot. God that's gonna hurt! feet should not look like that. DAMN DAMN DAMN!!!

Anger: This is the Why Me stage or the how could I have been so dumb stage. The subject is beginning to accept the fact that they are injured but they need to lash out either verbally or physically. If you happen to be the target of this anger do not become defensive or angry. Be empathetic, and try to calm the subject by using your best listening and communication skills.

I hit the ground with my fist I am so angry only Jay is in the way and I punch him out Sorry Jay.

Bargaining: This is the Okay Let Me Help stage. The subject wants to help in their own rescue to show you that they're not really hurt bad. In this stage let them help if they can or at least try to make them feel they are helping in their own rescue. This could also be called the If Only I Had stage. They may tell you that if only they hadn't reached for that last hand hold or if they hadn't gone down that particular slope you wouldn't be there rescuing them.

I have to make sure tonight's planned exercise goes on without me, I must get hold of my wife and daughter, She's the one that I am late in meeting. She won't know what has happened. I need to take care of my car, my department equipment. I have to make sure everything is handled. John tells me to relax, it will be handled.

Depression: The Poor Me stage subject who had been quite talkative becomes sullen, silent and distant. They will withdraw into themselves and may go minutes or hours without speaking.

Acceptance: The subject finally accepts the fact that they are injured and may have a long way back to recovery.

Lakewood Fire arrives I see more familiar faces. Nitrous and Morphine Pain. is not too bad. Four minutes from the time of the accident to aid on scene. 12 minutes to the ER. 4 hours to surgery. 3 and a half hours of surgery, 2 weeks in bed, 2 months on crutches, 4 to 6 months to return to work.

When you are on a rescue, you may see all five stages or only one or two, the best way to deal with them is to use your best communication and listening skills.

Do as much as you can to retain the subject's dignity. Do not lie to the subject or give them false hopes. Let them know that everything that can be done is being done to help them. The golden rule really applies in these situations, basically treat the subject as you would want to be treated if the roles were reversed.

The following members attended the kit party on Jun 1, 1998:

Shorty Williams, John Simac, Jim Andrues, Bob Renz, Barbara Bird,
Christine Davies & Ian, Mari Backman, Jack Leiman

354 kits were assembled

Due to the number of missions we've had recently I've decided to reprint the instructions for the Cache Hotline When you call the hot line at 531-2120, you will be given a choice of three extensions:

1. Mission and Training Information check here for the latest updates on missions in progress.
2. Product and Publication information Check here for information on kit sales, etc.
3. A list of upcoming Events and Meetings. Check here for hikes and climbs with Unit members or to post a hike or climb. Meetings or events that might be of interest to Unit members

If you would like to have an event or meeting posted call Tracy Berryman at (253)581-6614.

©Copyright 1998 Tacoma Mountain Rescue