|
  |
Climber fell 25 feet
By Kevin Walker
Two days
previously, my wife and I had just returned from
our honeymoon. On this fine afternoon, Patrice
was preparing her first meal for company. All was
going smoothly inside, while I was working out in
the yard, that is until the pager went off with
news of an injured climber on Tahquitz Rock.
Let's just say that my new bride was not
overjoyed at my leaving this particular day.
My dad, Walt
Walker, picked me up in the #1 van and within 45
minutes we were at Humber Park. Deputy
MacWilliams from the Riverside County Sheriff's
Department was on the scene. He informed us that
Saddleback SAR (Orange County) had been
practicing on Suicide Rock when the climber fell
on Tahquitz. Some of their personnel along with a
paramedic from the Idyllwild Fire Department had
already hiked in to locate and give aid. Walt sat
up base along with Jack Bowman, while I put a
unit radio into my pack. I was sent up the
climbers trail to Lunch Rock, and as I was about
two thirds of the distance to the rock,
Saddleback radioed out that they had reached Dave
Slandy, a Huntington Beach resident. Dave had
taken a leader fall of about 25 feet, and landed
on a ledge near the base of the rock, on the
South side. He had sustained serious chest
injuries, and it was thought that he might have
fractured ribs on both sides. Dave's climbing
partner had lowered him down the 15 feet to the
base. Shortly after that Saddleback and the IFD
paramedic arrived.
I hiked past
Lunch Rock and met the group when they were about
15 minutes from Lunch Rock. When I arrived I saw
that Dave was having difficulty breathing, but
otherwise he was in fairly good spirits. Upon
reaching Lunch Rock we were met by the rest of
RMRU who had brought up our wheel to put under
the litter for the rest of the journey. Once the
wheel was in position, fellow team member Pete
Carlson took the job of field leader, and gave
litter assignments, and saw that the wheel-out
went smoothly and safely for Dave. Within an hour
and 15 minutes (now after dark) we arrived back
at Humber Park. There Dave was transferred onto a
gurney and placed into the IFD ambulance. He was
taken to the Hemet Valley Hospital.
And luckily
for me, my new wife had postponed the dinner till
Monday night. Patrice, welcome to the RMRU
family.
|
  |