December 12, 2023 23-585 #31

At approximately 1100 hours the Team commenced an evidence search in conjunction with the Washoe County (Nevada) Sheriff’s Office, who had requested assistance through the Mono County Sheriff’s Office. The search took place beneath the Conway Summit overlook on the 395 between Bridgeport and Mono City..

The search concluded at 1515 hours but the materials sought by Washoe County were not located.

IC: Pelichowsky (with Washoe County) Responders: Huizingh, Hunsinger, Kaufman, Buchanan, Salay, Wallace, Quiring, Kelley

October 22-23, 2023 23-518 #30

At 1710 hours the Team was called to assist in locating 3 male hikers separated on the West Ridge of White Mountain Peak. The reporting party stated that they had summited White Mountain Peak from their camp at approximately 5,500’ just above the White Mountain Ranch Road at the base of the West Ridge, and chose a different descent route on which they became separated. The reporting party reported the situation on his mobile phone which shortly thereafter failed due to a low state of charge in the battery.

Search base was established on White Mountain Ranch Road, and a field team was able to find their vehicle and base camp, and verify that no one had yet returned. The California Office of Emergency Services (OES) provided a fixed-wing King Air aircraft equipped with Fire Integrated Real-Time Intelligence System (FIRIS) which uses a high-definition infrared camera system to detect heat. Designed primarily for tracking wildfires, it is sensitve enough to pick up heat signatures from individual large mammals, and can search large areas quickly. However, due to unfavorable weather conditions, FIRIS was unable to locate the subjects.

Overnight the subjects were able to regroup and use a mobile phone from another party member to contact the Sheriff’s Office, and the phone’s GPS locator provided the coordinates of their location. The group also reported that they were in a precarious position and did not feel they could continue their descent.

Inyo SAR was called for mutual aid, and 5 Inyo SAR members responded, with 4 accepting field assignments.

Heading up Milner Creek Canyon. Image by J. Lipman

Near the end of the road. Image by J. Lipman

In Milner Creek Canyon. Image by J. Lipman

The party was advised to maintain their position, and a field team drove up Milner Creek Canyon in a Polaris Ranger 6-wheel drive vehicle. At the termination of the road, the field team hiked a short distance and made visual contact with the subjects. The field team hiked to their position and escorted them down the slope. The field team returned to base and the subjects were transported to their vehicle. The operation terminated at 1159 hours.

Almost out. Image by J. Lipman

IC: Belcher, Pelichowski, Rhoads Ops Leader: Patterson, Beck, Haugh Responders: Cucura, Buchanan, Kelly, Wilson, Lipman

October 21, 2023 23-512 #29

At 1100 hours the Team was called to assist with a Garmin Inreach activation in the White Mountains on the eastern edge of Mono County. Rescue base was established at the intersection of Joe Smith and Silver Creek Canyon Road. The subject of the call was a 75-year-old solo male hunter.

Rescue base. Image by J. Lipman

A field team of 5 left rescue base in the Polaris Ranger 6-wheel drive and proceeded directly up the steep and committing Silver Creek Canyon Road. The subject was located, and it was determined that the Inreach activation was inadvertant, and the subject required no assistance. The subject was advised to purchase a modern PLB unit for his future adventures. The operation terminated at 1557 hours.

IC: Rhoads Ops Leader: Bush Responders: Patterson, Buchanan, Salay, Baron, Haugh, Wilson, Lipman

October 20, 2023 23-511 #28

On September 30 there was a SAR incident in Madera County that involved a Naval Air Station Lemoore Blackhawk helicopter that was rendered inoperable by failure to maintain adequate separation from the terrain.

The military informed Madera County that they were bringing a larger helicopter to recover the first, and Madera requested a field team from MOSAR to standby during the recovery operation in case of a mishap.

No mishap occurred, and the disabled aircraft was roughly disassembled and ferried to the Mammoth Airport in 3 trips.

IC: Gillespie Responders: Beck, Bush, Buchanan, Kelly, Haugh

October 19, 2023 23-### #27

At 1118 hours Inyo County requested assistance with a search for an overdue hiker/scrambler on the north side of Mt. Whitney for the following day with an early morning start from the Inyo SAR station in Bishop. MOSAR confirmed the response of 2 type 2 searchers qualified for technical terrain. Shortly thereafter the subject was located by a helicopter and MOSAR response was cancelled.

Responders: Beck, Bush

October 18, 2023 23-507 #26

At 1249 hours the Team was called to assist a 53-year-old male subject reportedly suffering from chest pain in the vicinity of Mildred Lake. The notification was received via text message. The Team responded and established rescue base at Convict Lake.

Field team 1 left base and began their hike to the subject’s location, and 2 Mono County Medics rode a boat from the Convict Lake Marina to the west shore of the lake. Team 1 encountered the subject descending the trail a few hundred yards west of Convict Lake.

Field Team 1 along the shore of Convict Lake. Image by J. Lipman

Field Team 1 returning to base. Image by J. Lipman

The subject refused care and insisted on hiking out, though he was convinced to ride the ferry boat across convict lake. The subject stated that his party would transport him to Mammoth Hospital. The call terminated at 1450 hours.

IC: Belcher Ops Leader: Bush Responders: Wallace, Haugh, Blackman, Wilson, Senior, Lipman, Kelly, Childers

October 14, 2023 23-504 #25

At 1156 hours the team was called for a mutual aid assist in Inyo County for a 46-year-old male subject experiencing chest pain near Heart Lake in the Little Lakes Valley. Rescue base was established at the Mosquito Flats Trailhead, and a field team of 8 with medical equipment was sent to assist.

CHP Helicopter H82 flying overhead to extract the subject. Image by J. Lipman

Inyo SAR and MOSAR at the subject location awaiting the departure of H82. Image by J. Lipman

Prior to their arrival at the subject, CHP helicopter H82 flew overhead and landed near the subject. The field team arrived shortly thereafter. A patient assessment was performed, and the subject was packaged and loaded into H82 and flown to the Bishop airport and tranferred to the care of an ALS unit for transport to Northern Inyo Hospital. The operation terminated at 1456 hours.

IC: Gillespie Ops Leader: Bush Responders: Patterson, Buchanan, Lipman, Blackman, Haugh, Mayernick

October 13, 2023 23-503 #24

At 1517 hours the Team was called to assist an injured 68-year-old paraglider pilot who had crashed near the Piute Launch Area south of White Mountain Peak. Rescue base was established on the Chalfant Loop, and a filed team of 5 drove up the very rough unpaved road as close as possible to the subject’s location in a Polaris Ranger 6-wheel drive.

A medical assessment was performed, and the subject was packaged in a wheeled litter and transported back to the Ranger with a rope-rigging assist. The Ranger, with the subject and field team, returned to base and transferred care of the subject to an ALS unit for transport to Northern Inyo Hospital. The operation terminated at 2048 hours.

IC: Salazar Ops Leader: Bush Responders: Patterson, Buchanan, Lipman, Senior, Gerber

October 7, 2023 23-489 #23

At 2038 hours the Team was called to assist in locating 2 female hikers in the vicinity of McLeod Lake who were unsure of their location or how to get back to their vehicle. Communication was established via mobile phone, and a SMS locator text was sent which provided their position coordinates. The subjects were provided with bearing instructions and advised to proceed, and a field team was able to locate them approximately 5 minutes in from the trailhead. The operation terminated at 2144 hours.

IC: Belcher Ops Leader: Bush Responders: Haugh, Cowan, Kaufman, Huizingh

September 30-October 1 2023 23-480 #22

At 1450 hours the Team was called for a mutual aid to assist Madera County with a male hiker with an injured ankle near Garnet Lake, and with injuries sustained by crewmembers of a Naval Air Station Lemoore MH-60S Seahawk helicopter when their aircraft impacted the terrain.

Madera initially was responding to the call for the male with an injured leg and requested NAS Lemoore fly to the location and retrieve the subject directly.  While in the immediate vicinity, working to make the pickup, the aircraft failed to maintain adequate separation from the terrain, injuring 2 of the 4 crew members and disabling the aircraft.

MOSAR rescue base was established at Minaret Vista.  Field team 1 left rescue base and arrived at the Agnew Meadows Trailhead, where they remained pending the arrival of Field Team 2 with additional gear and equipment.  When Team 2 arrived at the trailhead, gear was distributed and Team 2 was absorbed into Team 1. 

The new Team 1 left the trailhead at approximately 1630 hours. Yosemite Search and Rescue (YOSAR) was also requested for mutual aid, and agreed to send a team of 8, along with an additional wheeled litter.

At approximately 1640 hours the new Field Team 2, consisting of 2 MOSAR members, departed the Agnew Meadows Trailhead, followed closely by Field Team 3 with 3 MOSAR members, between them carrying an additional wheeled litter and other equipment. 

Team 1 arrived at the accident site at 1810 hours, found that the crash subjects had been treated and stabilized, and packaged the most seriously injured of the 3, the hiker that had initially been injured.  Field Team 4 left the Agnew Meadows Trailhead at approximately 1820 hours.

Team 1 began the transport of their subject via wheeled litter while other field teams were still enroute at 1835 hours. Team 2 was enroute with the litter handles for the Team 1 litter and the field teams met at approximately 1850.  

YOSAR departed the Agnew Meadows Trailhead at 1838 hours.  As Team 1 descending met Team 4 coming in, the teams were reconfigured to assist in the steep uphill stretch to the trailhead. Teams 1 and 4 continued with the first litter carry out.

Team 2 arrived at the accident site, packaged one crewmember into the litter, and with the assistance of recently arrived Team 3 began the transport of the second subject.  The remaining injured crewmember elected to walk, and shortly thereafter YOSAR joined teams 2 and 3 on the return.  The injured crewmember who was walking was unable to keep the pace of litter crew and required assistance.  The 2 MOSAR members assisting the injured crewmember and the rest of the flight crew were designated as Team 5 for tracking.

Team 1 returned to the trailhead at 2150 hours, and transferred the subject to the care of Mono County Medics. Three MOSAR members from the original Team 1, redesignated Team 1B, returned to the field to meet Team 5 and assist in the carryout of the second injured crew member who was walking out. 

Team 1B met Team 5 at 2305 hours, packaged the second injured crewmember for the final carryout.  Team 2 with Subject 2 arrived at the trailhead at 0030 hours, and Subject 2 was transferred to the care of Mono County Medics.  Team 5 accompanied by Team 1B arrived shortly after at 0035 hours with Subject 3 who was also transferred to the care of the medics. 

The operation terminated at 0106 hours.

IC: Rhodes, Pelichowski  Ops Leader: Patterson  Responders: Buchanan, Wallace, Kaufman, Knecht, Brownlee, Lipman, Trainor, Creager, Senior, Cornelius, Bush, Trott, Haugh, Huizingh

September 28, 2023 23-475 #21

At 1519 hours, the Team was called for mutual aid to assist Inyo County SAR with a reported boulder entrapment near Lamarck Col. Four MOSAR team members responded to the Inyo SAR posse hut, but were not provided a field assignment.

The subject’s hiking partner was able to extract him prior to the arrival of any SAR assests, and the injured subject was loaded into an Air National Guard Chinook helicopter for a flight to the Bishop Airport, but his condition worsened considerably on the way, and he was instead flown directly to Fresno for definitive care.

Mono IC: Belcher Mono Ops: Bush Responders: Brownlee, Thompson, Lipman, Senior

August 29, 2023 23-413 #20

At 0911 hours the Team was called to assist in locating a 64-year-old male hunter who had become separated from his party on the east side of the White Mountains in the vicinity of Furnace Creek.

Prior to the Team’s arrival at search base, the hunter was reunited with his group. All responders terminated their response, and the call was canceled at 1112 hours.

IC: Gillespie Ops Leader: Bush Responders: Haugh, Quiring, Cucura, Torrence, Lipman, Wilson, Kelly, Huizingh

August 23, 2023 23-401 #19

At 2002 hours the Team was called to assist in locating a 21-year-old male and a 56-year-old male who had departed together from Horseshoe Lake and became separated later in the day. Their intent was to hike to the Mammoth Crest and then to Deer Lakes, Duck Lake, and exit at the Coldwater trailhead.

The Team staged at the Horseshoe Lake parking lot and six field teams were sent out to different trailheads in the Lakes Basin. The reporting party (RP) who was wife and mother to the missing hikers, was able to establish communication via SMS message with her son, and he communicated his location as indicated by the GPS receiver on his phone. Two field teams were nearly, and they were directed to the location.

There had been no communication with the second hiker, but fortunately he was located by a field team on the Duck Pass Trail between Skelton and Barney Lakes. He was escorted out to the trailhead, and transported to search base.

Hiking out with our subject near Skelton Lake. Image by J. Lipman

Shortly thereafter, the first hiker located hiked out in the company of the two field teams that had been in the area. The operation terminated at 2334 hours.

IC: Rhoads, Salazar Ops Leader: Beck Responders: Lipman, Baron, Buchanan, Thompson, Senior, Quiring, Haugh, Trainor, Brownlee, Childers, Hunsinger, Huizingh, Anderson, Gerber, Patterson, Salay, Wallace

August 19-22, 2023 23-393 #18

At 1200 hours the Team was called for a mutual aid request from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office for a possibly missing or injured 58-year-old male hiker traveling from Devils Postpile to Lake Tahoe. The subject was carrying a satellite tracking device, and his wife was monitoring his progress remotely.

At approximately 1830 hours on Friday August 18, the subject's wife noted the subject's InReach device had ceased moving. At approximately 0430 hours on Saturday August 19, the subject's wife noted that the device still had not moved. It was determined that the device had registered a top speed of 28 miles per hour and was sending a signal near the base of some cliffs. The SOS function on the device had not been activated.

The Madera County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from CHP helicopter H40, but shortly after arriving in the seach area H40 was reportedly called to other duties. Madera then requested mutual aid from the Mono County Sheriff’s Office, and the Team was called out, and staged at Minaret Vista.

Helicopter from Lemoore Naval Air Station searching for subject. Image by J. Lipman

Lemoore Naval Air Station was also contacted and accepted the mission, agreeing to send a Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk derivative. While the helo was on the way, two field teams with 8 personnel departed for the subject’s last reported position.

Field Team 2 leaving Agnew Meadows Trailhead. Image by J. Lipman

Field Team 2 just below Shadow Lake. Image by J. Lipman

Field Team 1 was a hasty team tasked with traveling to the reported coordinates as quickly as possible, and Field Team 2 followed behind with additional gear and the direction to interview other hikers on the trail, campers alongside the trail, and campers in the vicinity of Ediza Lake.

Field Team 2 arriving at Ediza Lake. Image by J. Lipman

Approximately 3.5 hours after leaving base Team 1 arrived at the coordinate location, and the subject was found deceased below a steep rock headwall above Iceberg Lake. Darkness was approaching, and all field teams were directed to return to base. The location and outcome were reported to a representative of the Madera County Sheriff’s Office.

Later that evening, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office again requested mutal aid assistance in the recovery of the subject. On Sunday August 20 two team members were on their way to Minaret Vista to meet CHP helicopter H40 for a mission to extract the subject, but H40 had to cancel the mission due to low visibility in the area, especially at Minaret Vista.

On Monday August 21 the Madera County Sheriff’s Office again called the Mono County Sheriff’s Office to request mutual aid to recover the subject. CHP H40 was unable to fly on Monday due to weather, but on Tuesday August 22 CHP H40 landed at Minaret Vista at 0814 hours, loaded two team members and gear, and flew to Iceberg Lake where they landed and shut down.

Mono SAR field team departing Minaret Vista for subject extraction. Image by B. Beck

The field team ascended the slope to the subject, packaged him in a Sked litter, and lowered him with a rope system approximately 300 feet down a boulder field and a snowfield. The pilot, flight officer, the subject, and both members of the field team boarded the helo with their rescue gear and flew back to Minaret Vista. Both team members offloaded, and H40 flew directly to Madera with the subject for delivery to the Madera County Sheriff’s Office. The operation terminated at 1212 hours on Tuesday August 22.

Preparing to approach the subject location above Iceberg Lake (frozen in the background). Image by C Brownlee

Building an anchor to lower the subject. Image by C. Brownlee

IC: Gillespie, Salazar Ops Leaders: Bush, Beck, Thompson Responders: Pavlovsky, Baron, Dickau, Kaufman, Wilson, Wallace, Brownlee, Irving-Ruffing, Anderson, Lipman, Huizingh, Senior, Hunsinger, Shelov, Torrence, Salay, Cucura.

August 16, 2023 23-386 #17

At 1630 hours the Team was called to assist in locating a 22-year-old male hiker separated from his hiking party east of Shadow Lake on the Shadow Creek Trail. The prearranged meeting place was to be Red’s Meadow Pack Station.

The Team staged at Minaret Vista, and field teams were shuttled down to several trailheads around Devils Postpile National Monument. Shortly thereafter the subject was located at the Soda Springs Campground, and he was reunited with his party at Red’s Meadow. The operation terminated at 1807 hours.

IC: Gillespie Ops Leader: Bush Responders: Buchanan, Salay, Kaufman, Hunsinger, Lipman, Pavlovsky, Huizingh, Anderson

August 11, 2023 23-371 #16

At 1028 hours the Team was called to assist a 67-year-old male hiker with a reported anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in the vicinity of Snow Lake near the Tuolumne County border. CHP helicopter H40 was contacted, and they accepted the mission to assist with subject transport.

The Team responded to the Mono Village campround at Upper Twin Lake Bridgeport and established rescue base. Prior to the departure of field teams, CHP H40 reported that they had successfully extracted the subject, and would fly him to Mammoth-Yosemite airport for transfer to Mono County Medics.

The operation was terminated at 1237 hours.

IC: Pelichowski Ops Leader: Beck Responders: Quiring, Buchanan, Torrence, Baron, Kelly, Senior, Haugh, Thompson

July 20-21, 2023, 23-330 #15

At 1900 hours the Team was called to assist a 53-year-old and a 17-year-old, both male, who were hiking near Garnet Lake and found that the trail conditions were beyond their skill level. The notification was received from a Garnin Inreach satellite device. It was determined that they were equipped to spend the night in place, so the response was postponed until the next morning.

At 0733 hours the next morning (July 21), the Team was called to respond to Minaret Vista. From there, a field team of 5 members traveled to the Agnew Meadows trailhead and began hiking toward the subjects. CHP helicopter H40 was also responding from Fresno, CA. H40 landed at Minaret Vista to offload equipment to increase their load-carrying capability.

Prior to the arrival of the field team at the sujbect’s location, H40 was able to load them on board and fly them to Minaret Vista. In order to expedite the retrieval, H40 left a crew member on site, then returned to collect the crew member before returning to Fresno. The field team was instructed to return to base. The operation terminated at 1155 hours.

CHP H40 overflying the filed team on the way to extract the subjects. Image by J. Lipman

IC: Gillespie Ops Leader: Bush, Haugh, Beck Responders: Lipman, Cucura, Huizingh, Torrence, Baron, Salay, Dickau, Quiring.

July 18, 2023, 23-321 #14

At 1927 hours the Team was called to assist a 23-year-old male hiker/camper with symptoms of AMS near Crystal Lake and Crystal Crag. Rescue Base was established in the parking lot of Wood’s Lodge near Lake George, and 3 field teams left base to locate the subject.

A field team member on the trail above Lake George. Image by J Lipman

Lake Geoarge and Lake Mary just before sunset. Image by J Lipman

Field team member nearing Crystal Lake just prior to sunset. Image by J Lipman

As the field teams arrived at the subject’s camp, a medical assessment was completed, and the subject was found to be tachycardic, with low blood pressure, and on oxygen saturation level of only 71%. The subject was treated with oxygen and electrolytes, and packaged in the wheeled litter for transport.

There was still considerable snow in the area, and as the field teams began the descent to Rescue Base, it became necessary to establish running belays for the safety of the subject and the field team members attending the litter. Mono County medics were called to base, and as the descent was slower than expected, and the subject’s condition was serious, they began hiking up the trail to meet the field teams.

The medics treated the subject and transport to base continued, arriving at 2320 hours The subject was transported by the medics to Mammoth Hospital. The operation terminated at 2340 hours.

IC: Gillespie Ops Leader: Patterson Responders: Hunsinger, Buchanan, Torrence, Kaufman, Lipman, Huizingh, Anderson, Cowan, Romanova, Senior, Salay, Baron, Brownlee

July 8, 2023, 23-307 #13

At 1805 hours the Team was called to assist a 15-year-old male subject with reported symptoms of appendicitis at a location near Lane Lake and Roosevelt Lake. While the Team was on the way to the staging area at the Leavitt Meadows Campground, contact was made with a Nevada Division of Forestry helicopter that was working on fire suppression out of Bryant Field Airport in Bridgeport. This resource had just been released from fire duties, had hoist capabilities, and was available to assist.

The NDF helo arrived at the location just as the Team was staging at Leavitt Meadows, and was able to extract the subject, and deliver him to Mono County EMS staged at the Sonora Junction Caltrans station. The operation was terminated at 1936 hours. IC: Belcher Ops Leader: Beck Responders: Patterson, Quiring, Brownlee, Wallace, Bush, Buchanan, Mayernick, Lipman, Kelly, Blackman, Haugh, Cucura, Kaufman, Anderson, Torrence

July 3, 2023, 23-298 #12

At 1534 hours the Team was called to assist in the recovery of a 30-year-old female swimmer/tuber found deceased in a waterway below Grant Lake. The Team staged at the 395/158 north intersection, and a Sheriff’s Office drone was able to confirm the location that had been determined by a member of the Lee Vining Volunteer Fire Department.

A field team of 3 entered the stream and was able to retrieve the remains, which were turned over to the Mono County Sheriff/Coroner. The operation was terminated at 1809 hours. IC: Belcher Ops Leader: Bush Responders: Wallace, Childers, Quiring, Anderson, Knight, Brownlee, Torrence, Blackman, Buchanan, Patterson, Cucura