At 1651 hours the Mono County Sheriff’s Office received a request for assistance via the California State Warning Center via an Inreach satellite device. The Inreach message indicated a back injury, with a location initially reported at Tower Lake in Tower Canyon, eventually moving a couple miles down the trail toward Upper Piute Meadows.

The reported location was approximately 11 miles from the closest trailhead, and air resources were requested from the Air National Guard at Mather. ANG Mather accepted the mission and expected to be airborne within an hour. The Team staged at a location close to the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center on Highway 108 and prepared for a quick flight in and an extraction.

Shortly thereafter ANG Mather terminated their response due to poor visibility attributed to dense wildfire smoke. Without air support, and with the subject in possession of overnight gear, the operation was suspended until 0715 hours on Sunday August 8.

CHP helicopter H40 arrived at the staging location at approximately 0730, and a field team of 2 with a litter and a litter wheel were transported to Upper Piute Meadow. H40 landed and shut down, and the field team hiked the litter in to the subject’s location.

The view of Tower Peak on the flight in. Image by B. Beck

Upon arrival and assessment, the subject felt that he could slowly walk out without the weight of his pack, so the field team brought out the pack, and subject slowly made his way back to the helo. The subject was flown out to Bridgeport International Airport, and H40 took on fuel and returned to pick up the MOSAR field team and return them to the staging area before departing the area. The operation terminated at 1251 hours.

CHP helicopter H40 in the meadow LZ waiting on the arrival of the field team and subject. Image by B. Beck

IC: Pelichowski Ops Leader: Beck Responders: Hartstrom, Creager, Quiring, Wallace, Torrence