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Climber shattered heel bone
By Bill
Blaschko, M.D.
I was sleeping
soundly when Bud White called with news that
there was an injured climber on Tahquitz Rock.
Bud,
Gordon Lee and
I met with two members of the Idyllwild Fire
Department shortly there after to make an initial
assessment of the situation while other RMRU team
members were enroute. Gordon maintained a base
camp at Humber Park while the other four of us
proceeded up towards the base of Tahquitz Rock
with a litter. About halfway up we encountered
our subject. Other climbers had been taking turns
carrying him down on their backs. His only
significant injury was severe pain in the left
heel and ankle where he had landed when he fell.
Bud and I supplied fresh fruit and cool water to
refresh the subject and the other climbers. We
then organized the available personnel into a
litter carrying team and proceeded downhill. Bust
before reaching Humber Park we were joined by the
remainder of the RMRU team. The subject was
transported by private vehicle to Hemet Valley
Hospital where he was diagnosed as having a badly
shattered heel bone.
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