Woman fell down waterfall
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October 3, 1982 |
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By Bruce Gahagan
After a hearty meal and a brief discussion about our morning North Face rescue, members headed home to try and have some what of a Sunday afternoon with family. just as I was pulling into my driveway in Hemet, the pager went off saying to respond to Massacre Canyon for an injured woman.
Apparently the subject, Theresa Shepard fell an estimated 30 feet while hiking on the trail that bypasses the second falls. The CDF and paramedics had been notified first, and were already with Theresa when Hemet team members and RMRU arrived. Jim Fairchild, Kevin and Walt Walker and myself loaded our packs with technical gear and headed up the sandy wash back into the canyon. After we had bypassed the first falls (25 feet), and were approaching the second falls when we saw the group in question above us on the trail. We took the direct route up the steep hillside, and were soon on the trail with Theresa.
The paramedics had given first aid to Theresa, and the CDF personnel had placed her in the litter. Because of the trail being quite narrow and eroded in places, we set up belays on both ends of the litter, and then took over the evacuation part of the rescue. Once past the steep area, we met up with the rest of the team and put the wheel under the litter and then it was but a short trip out to the waiting ambulance.