|
|
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.
The unit was contacted by the Peirce County Department of Emergency Management at 2:30P.M. on Tuesday the 4th of Aug. Mt Rainier National Park Rangers had requested 12 Mountain Rescue Volunteers for the evacuation of a 39-year-old climber from Camp Schurmann. The climber and his wife were part of a three-person rope team that had climbed to the summit that morning. On the descent the subject caught one of his crampons and fell while trying to cross a crevasse around the 10,200 foot level on the Emmons Glacier. After the fall it was discovered he had broken the Tibia or shin bone in his lower right leg. One of his climbing partners descended to Camp Schurmann at the 9800-foot level to notify rangers. A team of park rangers was able to lower the subject to the ranger hut Tuesday evening. Five team members responded to the call out they were: Mike Mixon, John Kirkman, Jim Creamer, Ken Capron and Dave Treber. They were asked to be at the Ranger station at White River by 6:30 P.M. After a briefing by the rangers it was decided that the team would hike into the Glacier Basin Campground at the 6000-foot level. They left the trail head around 9:30 P.M. arriving at Glacier Basin at 12:30 A.M. After 4 hours sleep they left to climb up the inner glacier to Camp Schurmann. Two members stopped at Curtis Ridge to set up a haul system while the rest proceeded on the ranger hut to help with the subject. They left the ranger hut at 11:00 A.M. and with the rangers and the subject's wife they lowered the subject to the base of Curtis Ridge where they hooked into the haul system that had been set up to help them climb over the ridge. Two team members then went down to set up a safety system to cross a major crevasse at the first pressure ridge on the Inter Glacier. After they had passed that obstacle, they proceeded to lower the subject down the inter glacier. While lowering down the glacier, they met up with another Mountain Rescue team that had been called from Central Mountain Rescue in Yakima along with other park rangers that had been sent up. Also, two other members from TMR went up to the mountain on Wednesday. They were Fran Mcfarland and Gus Bush. By the time the team reached Glacier Basin there were approximately 15 members in the rescue team. With the litter wheel placed on the litter the subject was walked down the trail to the White River Campground arriving there around 9:30 P.M. The subject was placed in his Private Vehicle to be taken to the hospital by his wife. Mike Gauthier who had been the incident commander on this mission arrived with sodas and sandwiches for the rescuers which were greatly appreciated. The team was released and returned to Tacoma around midnight.
A mountain Rescue Incident is a rescue in which a member of Tacoma Mountain Rescue participates, but the unit itself has not been officially involved. Editor
On Aug 13, Maria Level, Mike Mixon and Roger Ternes arrived at the White River Camp ground to provide load bearing assistance for a scientific study led by Francois Le Guern who is a noted French volcanologist. Bill Lokey coordinated TMRU's assistance through Jeff Sharp. The purpose of the study was to gather scientific baseline data on the summit of Mt. Rainier for changes is gas temperatures, summit lake temperature, determination of the existence of life in summit's lake, cave mapping and other scientific information. The team consisted of ten members. The mission was to bring food and about 200 lbs of scientific equipment to Camp Schurman for transport to the summit. In order to acclimatize, the team arrived at Camp Schurman on Aug 13 and camped at 12,500 on Aug 15. A photographer from the Tacoma News Tribune who was part of the team appeared to show signs of high altitude sickness at 12,500'. The photographer indicated that he was very tired but felt that he would be able to continue to the summit. The team arrived on the summit Aug 16 at about noon. The photographer was checked on the summit and continued to show the same signs of high altitude sickness. He indicated that he should feel better with rest. The photographer's pulse was high at 104, which he indicated was normally 80. He had no headache, showed no signs of confusion or lack of coordination. The photographer stayed at the summit camp to rest while other members went to the west crater to find the entrance of the summit lake. The entrance was difficult to locate since the opening was only about 18" high between the ice cap and the crater's rock rim. Once inside the entrance of cave, Francois took an air sampling and determined it was safe to descend about 300' down into the cave to reach the lake. The decent was an ugly loose rock muddy scramble. The lake was about 50' X 30' and was crescent shaped with an ice wall on one side and the scramble slope on the decent side. The cavern where the lake is located is about 75' wide and 50' high. The ceiling of the cavern is sculptured ice, which is also the bottom of the summit's ice cap. The lake and ice cave are a spectacular sight. The temperature of the lake was .05C (+32F). Gas temperatures where checked and an inflatable boat was carried to the summit to check lake temperature. The boat was also used to drag the lake with a scientific sieve for marine life.
At 8:30PM, the team returned to the camp. The photographer's condition was checked and found to be about the same. His pulse was still high at 104. He indicated that he had a slight headache. His eyes dilated normally. He was asked questions to check his mental coherence and got all the questions correct and showed no signs of confusion. He indicated that he felt tired, but wasn't cold and otherwise OK. His breathing was clear and no gurgling noises in his chest were heard. About 20 minutes later, his condition was again checked and found to have significantly deteriorated. His eyes were glassy and he was groggy. He was again asked questions to check his coherence and he fumbled with the answers. At that point, our concern turned from acute altitude sickness to High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE). At that time, two NPS climbing rangers arrived to camp on the summit. Mike Gauthier was one of the rangers. Gauthier checked the photographer and agreed that the photographer's situation was very serious. His pulse had risen to 120 and his respiration was 60. Gauthier called NPS to try to get an airlift since there was still sufficient daylight remaining. However, after several discussions it was determined that the airlift could not be performed until daylight. In the mean time, NPS had arranged for an oxygen bottle to be brought up the Muir route. Unfortunately, the route conditions on the Ingraham glacier prevented passage, which prevented arrival of the oxygen. The possibility of performing a technical lowering was also discussed since that was the only viable option available to team members who were on the scene. However, after surveying the group, it was determined that a lowering was not a viable option since the photographer was not ambulatory and there were only 4 or 5 members who were physically capable of participating. The Emmons route had some significant crevasses to cross on the decent and a lowering was determined to be too dangerous for both patient and rescuers. The patient's condition seemed to improve somewhat when he received "assisted breathing". This was not CPR, but rather someone breathing into the patient's mouth in sync with the patient's own breathing. A doc familiar with HACE was contacted who indicated that the patient should not be allowed to go to sleep and that we try to get the patient to hyperventilate. The doc also suggested that we give the patient a diuretic. The purpose the diuretic is to reduce HACE fluid pressure on the patient's brain. However, none of these measures worked since the patient soon fell into a coma. Fortunately a summit cloud cap lifted and the patient was airlifted by a Chinook at about 0900 and taken to Madigan. Fortunately, the patient seems to have recovered without any adverse permanent effects. On Aug 16, the team explored the eastern summit caves to include a viewing of the aircraft wreckage that has worked it's way to the bottom of the ice caves from an accident in the early 1990's.
The team returned to the White River campground on Aug 16 and concluded the support mission. Maria and Roger hosted a farewell gathering and potluck for everyone associated with the mission, to include NPS personnel on Aug 17.
In summary, it's uncommon for someone to get HACE so quickly. The problem is that the typical symptoms of acute attitude sickness are often the same as the early stages of HACE. The patient had spent two days at 10,000' and one day at 12,500' before going to the summit. Usually it takes several days to develop HACE taking 24 to 48 hours of mild altitude sickness followed by another 24 to 48 hours of increasingly severe symptoms before the emergence of specific signs and symptoms. Signs and symptoms include disorientation, confusion, hallucinations and problems with coordination. When the patient falls into a coma, death is imminent, usually within 24 to 48 hours.
Maria Level & Roger Ternes
Almost every unpleasant outing is the result of many small incidents whose results have combined over a period of time. Not all of these can be anticipated and prepared for at home before the trip. Many of them develop just because of the demands of the trip on the body's energy, muscles, and mind. Often they are compounded by changing weather conditions or terrain difficulties.
Minor physiological problems all post some indicator as a warning that a problem is developing. These indicators often are overlooked or ignored because of inexperience, excitement, or the inconvenience of the moment. Some of these indicators are closely related to other symptoms, resulting in misinterpretation of the warning sign.
How often have you blamed nausea on poor food, when the real problem was the heat and your lack of salt and water? Even the leg muscle cramps you suffer during and after a long, hot hike are blamed upon your lack of body conditioning, when it is really a low supply of salt and other chemical deficiencies. Whenever the body chemistry gets out of balance it quickly gives indications that are warnings that something is wrong. If the condition is not corrected, that particular function of the body will have to slow down or stop.
When man is away from his artificial environment and immediate assistance, the body problem indicators are his only way of keeping a log of the thermal and physical state of his body. Their messages are extremely meaningful to anyone dependent upon a limited supply of energy, water, or body protection to complete a trip successfully. The human body is a chemical machine, very complex, and dependent upon a delicate balance between its components.
The body has many automatic functions and controls which are designed to keep the body, itself, alive, regardless of how man abuses it. When things get too bad, or man fails to assist the body with protective shelter, fuel and water, the body will slow down everything but the brain, breathing, and heart actions. It renders the body incapable of movement until the balance is restored.
Billions of sensory nerves close to the skin surface automatically react to cold and heat. When the skin temperature rises for any reason, they automatically open up the pores and pour water on the skin to cool the skin by water evaporation. The nerves automatically close down the skin blood vessels whenever the skin temperature drops. Prolonged exposure or increasing cold turns the skin numb, then painful, with loss of muscle function ability. Exposed skin is first affected, and the extremities are the first to lose dexterity.
Whatever the reason for the discomfort, if not corrected it will become miserable, then eventually unbearable. Be aware of the message that you body is sending look for warning signs and don't ignore them so you can avoid becoming the subject of a rescue mission.
Call to order: 7:45 p.m.
BOARD MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:
OTHERS IN ATTENDANCE:
The June minutes were amended to correct that the mission on Mt. Rainier was located at 13,500' on the Winthrop Glacier. The minutes were accepted as amended.
OPERATIONS: Gus Bush
TRAINING REPORT: Jim Andrues
EQUIPMENT REPORT: Ken Capron
COMMUNICATIONS REPORT: Stan Kartes
SAFETY & EDUCATION: Phil Pletcher
MEMBERSHIP REPORT: Chris Berryman
Candy Cox donated various climbing gear to the unit. THANKS!
FINANCE Bill Weber
AIR OPERATIONS: Jeff Sharp
OLD BUSINESS:
PRO-DEALS: Phil Pletcher
NEW BUSINESS:
Adjourn 9:41
Respectfully submitted,
Fran McFarland, Secretary
The following members attended the kit party on August 5th, 1998:
|
John Simac Shorty Williams Barbara Bird Natasha Bird Kate Roberts Terri Lieby Ben Constance Tyler Fulcher Casey Petersen Ken Lint Christine Davies Cheryl Wells Wanda Morris Bill Weber |
|
Tacoma Mountain Rescue |
 |