Late on the afternoon of December 2nd, a 911 call was patched through to Mount Rainier dispatch from an injured 61-year-old hiker who had broken his lower leg in a fall. He slipped on a steep icy slope and fell 50 feet just above Panorama Point, coming to rest after hitting a rock hard enough to result in a compound fracture of both lower leg bones of one leg.
A group of skiers descending from Camp Muir fortuitously came upon the accident site and the injured hiker. The group was better prepared than the great majority of backcountry travelers and was able to radio park rangers with the GPS coordinates and other pertinent information. They then went to great lengths to protect, rewarm and care for the man for several hours of cold and windy conditions while rescuers were summoned to the park to perform a carryout.
Teams from Tacoma Mountain Rescue, Seattle Mountain Rescue and Olympic Mountain Rescue were battered by high winds as they performed the late night evacuation by rescue litter. The operation included several steep-angle technical roped lowerings down the icy slopes of Panorama Point.
Rescue efforts continued into the wee hours of the morning. The injured hiker was then transported by ambulance to the hospital.
The Moon is Waxing Gibbous (89% of Full)
Injured Hiker Rescued At Panorama Point in Mount Rainier National Park
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December 06, 2014 01:18PM |
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