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NOTE: This is part 4 of my mountaintop rescue story. Read part 1. Read part 2. Read part 3.
It was about 8 pm when the first Search and Rescue worker reached us. We had first called for help around 4:00. The sun was heading quickly toward the mountains in the west, and the temperature was starting to cool.
I watched him approach us from a distance and when I finally could make out his face, I could hardly believe it. “David Lynton?” I asked. He told me yes, obviously confused. “Dan Pearce, I used to live across the street from you.” He hadn’t seen me since I was a teenager and he quickly made the connection.
The man used to be one of my Boy Scout leaders some twenty years ago. He was a tenth degree black belt or something like that. Something about him being there put me at great ease. I stood up and attempted to walk toward him. Kelsey shrieked that I shouldn’t be walking. I felt a need to prove that with a little help I could get down the mountain on my own.
My legs had other plans as they quickly lost their stability and I was forced to sit down once again. David handed me a large sports drink and I quickly downed it. Kelsey and Reuben both started gulping down sports drinks of their own.
And then I blacked out again. I don’t really remember what happened next, but I remember suddenly finding myself surrounded by several Search and Rescue members. I opened my eyes and was on my back in the middle of the trail. How I got there, or when the others arrived is a complete blur to me, though according to Kelsey I was coherent and cooperative the whole time.
“We’re going to insert an IV,” one of them said. I remember my arm being tugged and wiped with alcohol. I remember the sharp stabbing pain of the needle. I remember the rescue workers discussing how fast to let the fluid drip.
And then, I just remember freezing. My legs began shaking, they were so cold. Eventually the rest of my body joined in. I remember them asking everybody for their jackets.
The next thing I remember is the head medical responder’s face directly above mine yelling something at me. I remember seeing him but not being able to talk, focus, or respond. I remember panicking and starting to cry while I felt paralyzed. I remember Kelsey’s hand on my head and how much it calmed me. I remember her telling me I’d be all right. I remember the Search and Rescue volunteer, a teacher at my Junior High, wiping the tears from my face. I remember him telling me he had reported to the people below that I was having seizure-like activity.
I remember more calls for blankets. More faces. I remember my body shaking harder than before and not being able to control it.
I remember that same head medical responder telling me they were calling for a helicopter. I remember telling him NO. I can walk down. I have to walk down. I don’t have insurance. I’m a single dad. I just need more fluid. I’ll be okay.
I remember him telling me I didn’t really have a choice and that I needed to get off the mountain. I remember being unable to argue any longer.
I remember they decided to put a second IV into my other arm. I don’t remember much except the poke, more shaking, and being covered by more layers.
I remember that incredible feeling of finally feeling warm. I remember my legs suddenly stopped hurting. I remember my mind cleared. I sat up and told everybody I was fine. I could walk down the mountain. The head medical responder told me I could try, but the helicopter was still coming. I remember just then my thigh cramped up beneath me while I sat, and I knew I didn’t have a choice. I think I told them I would do whatever they suggested.
After 20 or 30 minutes, the first helicopter appeared above us. It disappeared over the hill again and I overheard someone saying that there was no safe place for it to land so it had left.
They’d be sending up a new helicopter from Ogden with a cable system that would pull us off the mountaintop. It was all so blurry for me. I didn’t know where Kelsey or Reuben were. I closed my eyes. As hard as I tried to keep them in, tears kept emerging and rolling down my temples. I was wrapped in blankets and coats. I kept looking at the bags of liquid dripping into my body.
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We had been dating for a year (eventually for a total four but this story is the nice side of our impending incompatibility). As a birthday gift and celebration, my then boyfriend agreed that skiing would be a wonderful idea. His Hawai'ian childhood had been filled with skateboarding and waterskiing so how treacherous could this going down a mountain business be? In strong contrast, my German father tossed me down an Alp peak or two once I became a strong walker. We were in for a struggle.
After two hours of snowboard lessons on the bunny slope (the same one now infamous for having taken Natasha Richardson's life) he was feeling confident. We agreed that ascending to the (nearly five mile long) green slope should be attempted after a lunch break. The lift ride went well, but he began sizing up the mountain. The increased anxiety was evident. We made it to the summit and it was a near white out. We made our way to a clear patch of snow, assembled ourselves and the equipment, and then the blind descent began. You know the kids that blaze by the inexperienced adults and take them out without as much as a flinch? There were easily three of those within the first half mile. We slowly continued downward but many disastrous collisions resulted in one ultimate. There was a helicopter like propelling by the snowboard, a child that escaped unscathed, and the audible popping of what we assumed were either bones or ligaments. I suppose this is a good time to mention that I am a nurse. I had little idea how to begin assessing my writhing boyfriend under layers upon layers (Hawai'i, remember?) of clothing. In addition, I never previously required water, medical supplies, or additional equipment on a green slope. I had nothing.
I am so thankful that the SAR team were alerted to our location. They were successful in placing my ex inside the litter upon a sled. Their expertise was on full display as they gracefully coasted through the descent. If it were not for there assistance, I have no idea how I would have gotten him down the mountain.
Amazing story. Glad your ok.
I was part of a Search and Rescue Team when I was younger. We got called out to locations in the northern New Mexico area. Most of the time it was for hikers who didn't know their own limits, or who got lost and didn't have the sense to just stop and wait for someone to find them. They'd inevitably not be carrying enough water or the right clothing, and hardly ever did they have overnight equipment "just in case." When hiking/backpacking In the west, having enough water, and knowing where to get it are potentially the most important things to be aware of.
Sometimes things happen, and you don't want to make people feel TOO bad for making a mistake out in the wilderness. But at the same time, you really want them to admit their stupidity (if not out loud, at least to themselves), because you want people to be safer than they were before, and you want them to be an educational representative for OTHER people who are tempted to do dumb stuff or push themselves too hard int he back-country.
One of the most rewarding things doing SAR was not just when we found someone alive (which is really excellent), but when they 1. showed gratitude and 2. articulated the things that they would do differently/better in the future, fully taking responsibility for their mistakes. When they do that, you feel like you not only saved a life, but you helped to CHANGE a life for the better.
Dan seems to still be a little surprised at what happened to his body up on the mountain, but there were a series of things that he probably should have done differently: 1. Followed a map carefully 2. Know exactly where he expects to get his next water re-fill 3. Not continuing to climb when you're low on water 4. Not push himself beyond his physical ability (NOT keep climbing when his body was giving him VERY clear signals to stop/turn back). I'd be curious whether he and his crew had a first aid kit, ponchos, warm clothes for the night-time, light sleeping bags/blankets, extra food, etc. You tend to see a lot of these problems going together.
For all that Dan might do differently in the future, it was pretty great that the group had working cell phones, and that they had coverage. You don't want to skimp on your supplies because you figure you can just call someone for help, but its a good idea to bring some sort of communication device with you you, and newbie hikers should probably try to stay in areas where they get enough bars on the phone. THAT is what made all the difference in this situation. Glad that it worked out. Glad Dan seems to be okay now. You don't want to underestimate things that can go wrong out there, which is sometimes easy to do when you're just planning a fun day-trip.
I know what it's like pleading with people to not take you to the hospital because of lack of or inadequate insurance. I have epilepsy so I've been in a few situations where I knew, in all respects, that I should go to the hospital and out right refuse it due to the expense it would put my family in. In the end though you can't take care of your family if you're gone.
Another great installment of this story. I can identify with your fear and am so glad you were able to be rescued. Mine isn't a fear of heights exactly, but I have a great anxiety of being out of control. Yes, I am a control freak. I'm much better than I was, but this entire situation sounds so scary to me! Thank God for your friends, rescue workers and that you are okay. Waiting on the conclusion and get some insurance man LOL It sounds like you might need it! When I was self-employed I didn't have the run of the mill insurance, but I did get a policy that covered a catastrophic issue so that if I was hit by a bus or something I would be able to afford going to the hospital and still be able to keep my house. You should check around and see if there are programs for self-employed single parents in the state of Utah that have cheaper insurance rates. (Which I'm sure you have probably done, just a suggestion since you seem to be on a role with near death experiences) Glad you're still "hanging" in there!
Go read this. http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Woman-Found-Unconcsious-on-Scorching-Trail--162109595.html
What a story!!! I'm on the edge of my seat!!!
Wow. What a story. I was scared for you reading it. (allthough the the heli ride did sound fun to me;) So glad you are safe to brilliantly write about it.
That's what I did. Went directly to the site instead of clicking a link. Hope the server issues get sorted out soon
Well, this also make me happy to live in a country with free universal healthcare. Yes, we do pay a lot of taxes in Scandinavia. But the benefits? Subsidized good childcare (for everyone). Free healthcare (not always dentists, depending on country). Free university AND a goverment grant while you study. And no. You don't have to pay it back. It's not a loan in that sense. If you're educaded, you'll earn more (sometimes a lot) and will, therefore, bring in a lot of money in taxes.. So, it's an investment! I can't believe that healtcare isn't free in the US - it's ludicrous. If everybody paid a bit more in taxes, it could be free. As of now: Too many people siphoning the money running into healthcare, the US hospitals and other health practitioners are unable to (or bad at?) bargening prices down for medicine and equipment. Like, really bad. 2). If healthcare was provided by the government, it would be 'everybody's' money, and, as a logic consequence, it would also be in the governments best interest to keep people healty. As a European, coming to the US to live, I'm extremely appalled at how bad and unhealthy a lot of the food is! And how much sugar people consume. And how much pre-prepared pre-packaged food stuffed with sugar, salt, e-numbers, hormones and god knows what else you'll find on in the supermarket. Candy being marketed as 'fruit snacks', Nutella promoted as 'healthy' (yeah right). No wonder there's an obesity epedemic. In Scandinavia it's seen as the governments task to teach people about healty living, to avoid extreme burdens on the health system. Not that it's working perfeectly, but it's better than nothing....
Sorry everybody, my server got hacked. If you type the website in directly, it'll take you to the right place. Links are currently hijacked. We're working on it right now.
Your story, and those in the comment below, make me so glad to have grown up in a country with free universal healthcare and a Search and Rescue team that will pluck even uninsured tourists who've contributed nothing to our tax system off mountain tops.
Bummer--I keep getting redirected to a crazy search site...
Site is back up :)
Yay for Avast... Sorry Dan.
While not anywhere near as crazy as this, a couple years ago while hiking I slipped on a patch of ice and snapped part of my tibia. I knew as soon as I fell that I had broken something, and had the presence of mind not to try to do anything with it. The amusing part is the person I was hiking with was the one who *completely* freaked out, so it was left to me to calmly explain to the 911 dispatcher where I was in the park, how to get to me, my distance from the road, etc. Fun times.
There's a radiolab episode (NPR program) about "stress" that discusses the kinds of reactions that people have to stress, and there are some people who, even though they are about to die, actually get really focused and are able to give clear directions to the freaking out people around them. Here's the link:
http://www.radiolab.org/2007/apr/09/
I am getting redirected as well. And I have so been waiting for the next instalment.
me tooo =( ^^
Yikes, just wanting to read the next installment and get redirected.
Shoot! I can't believe I have to wait to read the next part to this story! I hope the virus problem is fixed soon. :)
Same here - flagged by Avast. Your site is redirecting through blender.ygto.com (no clicky the linky, people)
Oh boy, on it.
Me too! Blocked by Norton!
The link isn't taking me either. And when I try to pull up danoah.com, it goes to some other page... :(
Wow, Dan. That's crazy! So glad your friends were there, and thank God for the Search and Rescue team!!
agreed, I was going to post the same thing...glad it's not just my computer. Right before it went down my Antivirus said there was an attempted misdirect by "exploit" something or other.
The link took me to a completely different site and when I go to the blog page, nothing loads. I think something is up with the server.
www.danoah.com seems to be down, not just the link.
Seems you have a virus on the site right now.
Yeah, that just happened to me as well, Kristy!
not sure what happened but the link had a virus!
Did they ever find out what happened, other than the heat, to trigger your cramping and everything? I don't think drinking six or seven bottles of gatorade in a short period of time is a good idea. Water is always the best hydration fluid. It sounds like you really were in a lot of trouble and danger. I am glad you are okay now with pictures to tell a terrific story.
I read all four parts of this story today, and even though I know you are okay and writing this, it brought me to tears. I am so happy that there were so many really good, really experienced people to help you.
Can they force you to ride a helicopter? As someone else who has no medical insurance, I've gone over situations like this in my mind. As gruesome as it sounds, don't I have the right to refuse any help they're offering (life saving though it may be) if I know it will force me into debt for decades? Yeah, it sounds immature and shortsighted, but in certain scenarios I could see how it would be preferable to just risk death rather than live the rest of my life with that kind of burden.
My wife and I were in an accident that had to get us life-flighted to the nearest hospital. Luckily, we weren't at fault, so we didn't have to pay the transport bill...we just had to wrangle with the insurance company for like 3 years. Our total bills were probably around 25,000, the majority of it for the ambulances and helicopter. GET INSURANCE!
I've wondered the same thing many times, although mostly about ambulances not helicopters.
That's a very poignant angle - having no insurance. Needing help, but begging NOT to have that help, because you know that helicopter ride and the hospital trip will wipe you out.
You might call it poignant, but Dan is by his own calculation one of the most successful and beloved parent bloggers out there. HE CAN AFFORD INSURANCE. Now I get that some people have a hard time qualifying for one reason or another...whether for prior conditions or even having had counseling for depression (such was the case for my wife). But even my wife qualified for some insurance options, if not all. You're definitely overlooking some important life lessons if you do not have insurance, regardless of whether your job pays for it. My wife and I are both freelancers who probably bring in 1/10th of the money Dan does, but we made sure to get health and life insurance for ourselves and our daughter. Dan, do you have any specific reasons for not having insurance?
My daughter N. had just gotten home from a mission to South America. Her best friend C. got home a week later from another mission. They decided to hike in the mountains near our home. I'd done the hike several times and knew the lay of the land. So when they were starting off for their little day hike, I jokingly told them to drink plenty of water, stay on the trail, and take it easy. They were both in top form and healthy and eager to enjoy the hike.
A few of hours later S and R called and told me they'd just taken the girls off the mountain as C. had passed away. "You mean passed out, don't you?" I said. The speaker was firm. "No. She's dead." The girls hadn't gotten more than half way into their hike when C. sat down and died. N. spent an hour and a half doing CPR on her. Luckily C. had had a phone and N. called 911. None of the passing hikers would help her despite being just at the side of the trail.
Finally a man stopped to help an hour into it but he wouldn't do the breathing part (this was when breathing was still done). He would only do the compressions and he did them wrong. N. had to show him the correct way.
When I went to meet S and R at the trail head I was expecting N. to be a mess. I couldn't have been more proud of her poise and calm. I, on the other hand, was a mess.
It turned out that there was nothing wrong with C. at all. She was fully hydrated and healthy except for a slight stuffy nose. I was simply her time to go.
Never by search and rescue but I did have to be taken to the hospital by ambulance from my doctor's office. I went there for chest pains, but while in the office I started shaking, hyperventilating, hands and lips were paralyzed and full on collapsed. Fortunately (it still sucked though), it was just a major league anxiety attack, but it sure felt like I was having a heart attack. My doc gave me a script for Xanax after that. Duh.
I have been hooked on your story for the last few days. I can relate to this. When I was 18 (35 now), my brother in law, mutual friend and myself decided to go snorkeling at a popular, although isolated, beach that was known for the variety of fish that can be seen on or around the reef. We discussed the only major issue with this spot, the rip current. We knew it was there, we made sure to stay clear of the area and thought we would be safe close to the beach. After 10 or 15 mins of snorkeling and enjoying the fish, I noticed they were getting sparser and sparser. I poked my head up from the water and noticed I was being pulled farther and farther away from the beach. I looked down and noticed I was swept over the reef. Looking right back at me was dark blue water; emptiness. I was terrified. A million thoughts raced through my head. I was about 10 feet away from the edge of the reef. I was fortunately wearing gloves so I tried to claw my way over the reef, but I had to dive into the water to do this. Pieces of coral were breaking off, but I managed to get my body over the reef, plant my feet on the coral and turned my back against the rip tide. Then I noticed my brother was in a worse spot than me. He was swept over the reef in a spot where the waves were breaking right over him. Our friend was still in the 'safe zone' and managed to pull me out of the rip current. You see, I made the mistake of trying to fight the current to get back in. Big no no. If I didn't have snorkeling gear on, I would have eventually tired out and drowned. I was pretty banged up when I made it to shore. Our friend instructed me to get help while he tried to save my brother. I didn't have any shoes or zories (flip flops), so I had to run about 2.5 miles to the nearest building, running over sharp coral rocks and beach sand. The building was a power plant that I ran into and asked them to use the phone to call for help because my brother was drowning. I called for rescue and waited. In the meantime, our friend was not able to help my brother; he didn't want to get stuck along with him out there. Back at the beach, our friend found another person sunbathing. He happened to be a Lifeguard and offered to help, but for his broken toe. The Lifeguard decided to put on some fins and swam out to my brother and did the correct thing to do in this situation. He took him out over the breaking waves, then proceeded to make their way back into the reef diagonally. They made it to the beach safe, but my bro was banged up. Rescue made it after 30 mins, but Since my bro was safe on the beach, he held his arms up in a 'X' to signal that he was ok (he was in the CG at the time, and was very embarrassed about this when retelling this later). It was a quiet ride home from the beach while I reflected on the fact that I and my brother almost drowned if it wasn't for Kip. Since then, I have a healthy respect for nature and don't take anything for granted. Sorry for the long story, but I can definitely see how being prepared for anything sometimes isn't being prepared enough!
obviously i know you made it, but i am sitting here reading it and feeling so nervous and shaky for you. So glad you are okay. :)
Really enjoying this story. I actually had to stop reading this installment for a few minutes because I got so emotional. I had a very scary experience of nearly bleeding to death, getting double IVs and a helicopter ride to the hospital. Very scary!
Looking forward to the next part...love your posts, no one lives out loud better than you do!!! I have been involved in rescues (once dangling from a helicopter as you did and once assisting someone down a mountain to where a helicopter could reach) and say KUDOS to all who train and take part in search and rescue in all our mountains!
What an experience! So glad you are ok. Thank goodness for great friends and I'm amazed you had cell coverage!!
I haven't been helped by Search and Rescue before, but I was in the CG for 7 years and so did my own fair share of helping. It's not uncommon for people (even those NOT afraid of heights) to be extremely nervous about the basket. You're very lucky that you had your friends and that, in the end, all the pieces came together. Kudos for everyone who helped - and glad you made it back! Looking forward to the next part in the story :-)
I'm so mad I wasn't on that hike with you! I've been volunteering with the Timpanogos Emergency Response Team. You should come up this weekend and let me practice on you! ;-P I'll be taking a NOLS Wilderness First Responder course in Oct. Check it out: http://www.nols.edu/portal/wmi/courses/wfr/ut/
Amazing! I've had heat stroke, so I get you on that. So glad you're okay! Dying to know how it ends, I was on the phone with a friend while reading this one; got to the "to be continued" some not so nice words came out, but not out of anger, lol
wow...I'm in tears reading this. You are incredibly brave, have some great friends, and are an amazing storyteller.