*** Pima County AZ *** *** June/July 1995 SAR News *** Fri Aug 11 02:34:55 1995 Message : #30292575 From: Chris Weddle Address : cweddle@astro.as.arizona.edu Group : Usenet.misc.emerg-services Subject : Search & Rescue News - Arizona The following is excerpted from "SAR NEWS", the monthly newsletter of the Search & Rescue Council in Pima County, Arizona. I have added comments to those Search & Rescue operations in which I either played a part, or was able to acquire more detailed information: CALLOUT REVIEWS Summary of Data Reporting Period: JUN 15 - JUL 21, 1995 Callouts: 8 SARCI Personnel: 108 Total Hours: 366 Hours/Person: 3.4 SAT 24 JUN: Call 95.064 62 year old female hiker exhausted, Butterfly Trail, Catalinas. While hiking with a group of friends became exhausted/dehydrated. Rescue personnel rendezvoused with the group one mile down trail, and the victim with a previous medical history of leukemia was given small sips of water and stokesed out of the field. I was on this call. This group of older folks has long enjoyed hiking together. That morning they went out from the Soldier's Camp end of the Butterfly Trail, headed for Mt. Bigelow. They only got about a mile out when our patient became "dizzy and light headed". Mt Lemmon FD got the call first and went out the trail with an EMT, a stokes and wheel, and several Fire Fighters. Two EMTs serving with the Forest Service over fire season also went out. SAR was called shortly after. I arrived on the scene as the first SAR person. The patient was on a backboard and resting. Upon interviewing the EMT treating and the companions, it was learned that: She'd had no breakfast that morning, only 8 ounces of water, suffered from leukemia, and was on a variety of meds. An ER physician that works with us, and who was in route, requested to speak with the EMT. We arranged this on Amateur Radio and the MD ordered an IV, small sips of water or well diluted sport drink and transport on patients side due to probable vomiting. Oxygen was also provided at a low flow via nasal cannula. The IV was not possible, as we had only Basic EMTs on scene. Pima Rescue 100, a paramedic/SAR Deputy, started in towards us with IV supplies. We repackaged the patient as ordered, provided the water and with the MD's approval a piece of hard candy. A long length of webbing was tied to the front of the stokes as a pull line, and we put a FF/Gorilla in harness. We started out with the lead Gorilla pulling and six attendants. We met the Paramedic in about a quarter mile, and stopped. He was unable to get a good return on his IV, and after about 10 minutes decided to continue the evac. The MD was informed and concurred. Shortly after this we met up with a long line of orange-shirted SAR folks, and the MD. The rest of the evac was routine stokes handling. This includes a few places where the trail is barely wide enough for one person, with steep slopes up and down. We placed SAR people in a line off the edge of the trail. The stokes is moved by people in fixed postions, hand over hand a short distance until the narrow sections are cleared. 13 people, 34 hours, MLFD, RM73 USFS. SUN 25 JUN: Call 95.065 21 year old male, 19 year old female overdue hikers, Butterfly Trail, Catalinas. Intending to return via Soldiers Camp they took the Davis Spring trail instead and ended up near Pictograph Spring. Their companions hiked out via Palisades and reported them missing after they failed to return. Scotty and Dale found tracks leading down the Davis Spring trail and found them in good condition and assisted them out of the field. As is common, this began at nightfall. I managed to be in prime search territory - if you're searching for mountain lions. I was sent out the Crystal Springs Trail via the Oracle Control Rd. The Mt Lemmon Fire Chief happened to be out for a hike with his son, and offered to assist. He headed to Butterfly Saddle. Enroute to Crystal Springs trailhead I met MLFD 117 coming up the Control Rd. He'd been out for a fitness hike. He accompanied me to the trail head and stayed with the truck for radio relay. I headed out the Crystal Springs Tr as the Fire Chief was arriving at Butterfly Saddle. We began doing attraction work, and not too far out the Crystal Spring Tr I got a faint response. Continuing on, the reponses continued to improve, but were never very readable. The Fire Chief moved out to Butterfly Pk and also tried some attraction. Arizona DPS Air Rescue Ranger 38 came out with FLIR and began flying the trails. Teams coming off of Mt Bigelow on the Butterfly Tr found good sign indicating two people had gone down the Davis Spring Trail, which is really really really a dumb thing to do. But I continued to get responses echoing about in my area. I turned around at Crystal Spring and headed out. Additional teams were coming at me from both directions, including a search dog. While the dog alerted and took off running once, he rapidly returned with his tail low and looking very concerned. From tracks and other sign, we feel the dog found a mountain lion. Dog didn't care to search any more that night. No more responses were heard on this trail. Best guess is that the construction of new overlooks on the highway high above has provided a place for tourists to yell down into the canyons we so commonly search. The team headed down Davis Spring Tr got quite low before settling down around 3am. At 5am they were starting to go again when the missings walked into their camp from down canyon. They had noted an interesting name on the map, and decided to get a look at the place. After wandering about all night, they decided they'd really messed up and headed back up the canyon. All hiked out by around 10 or 11am. A 4x4 team was sent to Davis Mesa, but only got about halfway there by the time the people turned up. 15 people, 157 hours, R38 MLFD. FRI 30 JUN: Call 95.066 Female hiker with ankle injury, Sabino Canyon Tram Stop #8. Slipped on a scree slope injuring her ankle and unable to hike out. She was carried out via the stokes. 14 people, 26 hours, RMFD USFS. FRI 30 JUN: Call 95.??? 15 year old male exhausted, Esperero Trail, Sabino Canyon. While on a two day hike became exhausted and dehydrated. The boy was in contact with his family via ham radio, and had run low on water, but was able to find water and rehydrate himself. Since rescue teams were already in the field due to previous call, a team was sent up trail to check on his welfare and give encouragement. This was an Eagle Scout who was attempting a very ambitious hike in very hot weather. Many years ago, one of our people did a very similar hike, had very similar troubles, and got on the radio to advise the fellow. The boy had lost the trail, and needed water. He was talked into the nearest water source, and via descriptions of vegetation was directed in the direction of the trail. One very knowledgable person was able to talk and guide the boy out of his predicament. (wasn't me, I just listened). ? people, ? hours. MON 10 JULY: Call 95.067 73 year old male hiker overdue, Romero Canyon, Catalina State Park. He had lost the trail in the vicinity of Romero Pools and became overcome by darkness, he had gone up and over the ridge and ended up on the Sutherland Trail. Mykle and Jeff met up with the overdue hiker near the second crossing above the trailhead, provided him with additional water and assisted him out. 15 people, 24 hours, CSP. SAT 15 JUL: Call 95.068 9 year old male, 10 year old male, & 12 year old male had become separated from their group in the Romero Pools area above Catalina State Park. The rest of the group hiked out. The boys were found by a another hiker and hiked out. Rendezvous only, CSP. SUN 16 JUL: Call 95.069 21 year old male & 30 year old male were last seen in the Marshall Gulch area, Catalinas. Ranger38 located them shortly about a mile down Sabino Canyon below the Gaging Station. Ranger38 was able to land and take them out of the field. These fellows were part of a group touring here from Mexico. They walked out of the family picnic to shoot some video, intending to return by lunch. Rescue 3 and myself were in the area and proceeded to interview the family members. The team was promptly paged, and assignments were made via amateur radio as people drove up from town. Ranger 38 spotted them, and effected an extrication before anyone was able to get into the field. The first team up the hill promptly declared an "Orientation Hike", and a bunch of searchers were out 'till around 10pm enjoying a cool night's hike. 19 people, 25 hours, R38. FRI 21 JUL: CALL 95.070 20 year old female injured in her car went off the road below Windy Point, Catalinas. Victim was brought out on stokes via a haul system setup on roadway. Victim was then taken to Geology Vista by ambulance and air-evaced by AirCare. This was reported to have been a suicide attempt. The vehicle fell horizontally, impacting against a pillar. She was wearing her seatbelt. 32 people, 100 hours, R38 AIRCARE RMFD MLFD PCSO-SAV. "Breaking News": Son of celebrity author found after week-long search! Well, that's what the news is broadcasting. For the better part of a week a fellow has been missing out of Nogales, on the Mexico border south of Tucson. Santa Cruz County authorities had been looking for him actively. Yesterday, Pima County Sheriff's Deputies located the person's car at a trailhead in Madera Canyon, a little north of Santa Cruz County. A large search effort ensued with personnel from Pima and Santa Cruz counties working together, along with DPS, military and news helicopters. After 24 hours of continuous efforts, all teams were out of the field and plans were being made for new efforts tomorrow morning. At about 8:30pm, the fellow walked into the parking lot where his car was still parked. The lot was being guarded by law enforcement personnel to maintain parking space for fresh searchers the next morning. He has been taken to a hospital for checks, but appeared in good health. No additional info is available yet, but we're all anxious to hear what happened. "Shovel Fire": Lightning started a fire in a drainage off side of my home around July 12th. This eventually took off in spectactular fashion: rapidly moving crown fire, 500 Fire Fighters, 15 engine companies, 5 helicopter bucket ships (incl a 2000gal Sky Crane), 270000 gallons of water from my place, the power line up the mountain cut by fire for 28 hours, and the evacuation of radio repeaters by Search & Rescue and the US Air Force. We had a grand time. The night of July 29 saw 200' flame lengths and an evacuation of fire lines. At midnight we were warned that flames were 2 hrs from the fenceline with 50/50 odds of being able to save the place. Sudden changes in humidity and temperature, and the dense lush green belt surrounding the peak slowed the fire enough that by July 31 things had improved greatly. The fire got to within perhaps a half mile of my place, and was finally declared controlled this week. Remarkably small for such an energetic fire: 1275 acres. Chris Weddle Atop 9162' Mt Lemmon, Arizona. Member, non spokesperson, Southern Arizona Rescue Association, Inc. -----------------------