August 2, 2024 – Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue Team officials report that it was a long night for the Team Thursday night! Our overnight calls can happen due to a multitude of reasons: complex and technical conditions, patient severity, an extended search, time of notification, etc. Sometimes these calls come in mildly less technical and severe, save for the long night of walking. In any case, we stand ready to operate 24/7, 365 days a week, for as long as it takes, in any weather, for free.
August 1 & 2, 2024 24-396 #24
At approximately 6:18 P.M. (1818 hours) the Team was called to assist a 16-year-old female suffering from symptoms of acute mountain sickness (AMS) near Waugh Lake in the Ansel Adams Wilderness. A rescue base was established at the Rush Creek Trailhead and 5 field teams consisting of 11 team members hiked up the trail with the wheeled litter and other equipment. The location initially communicated to the Team was actually the location that the reporting party (RP) had found cell service and was able to place a 911 call for assistance. When field team 1 arrived at this location, no one was present. The error was discovered, and the subject was located about a half mile further west.
Field team 2 joined team 1 and the subject was assessed and prepared for transport, but she initially refused litter transport and chose to walk with assistance from team members. She soon tired and accepted the litter transport. Field teams 4 and 5 joined teams 1 and 2 as they continued the litter carryout. Field team 3 had been staged at a location where they had radio contact with teams 1 and 2 as well as rescue base, and they acted as a radio relay for effective communications.
As teams 1, 2, 4, and 5 passed, team 3 joined them in the descent to assist with the litter carryout. Nearing the Rush Creek Trailhead, the subject again requested to walk slowly with team member assistance, and shortly thereafter all parties arrived at the trailhead. The operation was terminated at 5:09 A.M. (0509 hours) on the morning of August 2.
IC: Belcher, Salazar || Ops Leader: Bush, Case, Beck || Responders: Senior, Blackman, Cowan, Irving-Ruffing, Creager, Lipman, Cucura, Anderson, Brownlee, Ackerman, Salay.
Mono County Sheriff's Office: Our 501(c)3 team is made up entirely of volunteers volunteering their own time and primarily their own equipment. We rely exclusively on donations to fund team equipment, higher level rescue and medical training, and facilities maintenance. To learn more about our all-volunteer team or to support our efforts, please visit www.monosar.org.
Source & photos: Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue Team
