At 1303 hours, the Team was called to assist Madera County Sheriff Search and Rescue in the search for an overdue hiker/scrambler in the area of the Minarets. The subject was traveling solo with the possible objectvie of summiting Clyde Minaret, 12,281’ elevation.

For the first afternoon, the Team was on standby as CHP helicopter H40 conducted an aerial search of the area. The search was postponed as darkness descended.

Search Base at Minaret Vista. Image by J. Lipman

Helicopter departing the LZ. Image by J. Lipman

Along the shore of Minaret Lake. Image by J. Lipman

On October 6 at 0800 hours, Teams from Mono, Madera, Marin, and Fresno staged at Minaret Vista, and an Air National Guard Blackhawk helicopter arrive just after 1000 hours to begin inserting field teams into the search areas. Four field teams were inserted, and shortly thereafter a spontaneous volunteer (a local outdoors professional) located the subject after hiking in and checking various locations that he thought were likely.

Madera was unable to extract the subject before darkness, so arrangements were made to have the National Guard Blackhawk return at 0800 hours the next morning.

Due to mechanical difficulties and other delays, the Blackhawk did not arrive at rescue base until after noon, but were able to insert their own personnel, extract the subject, and transport his remains to rescue base for transfer to the Madera coroner.

IC: Madera Sheriff Search and Rescue Mono Ops Leaders: Thompson, Beck Responders: Brownlee, Burnett, Creager, Endo, Evans, Godshalk, Hartstrom, Haugh, Kaufman, Kelly, Knecht, Knight, Leyen, Lipman, Mayernick, Pavlovsky, Quiring, Wallace.