Climber shattered heel bone

July 5, 1985
Tahquitz Rock
1985-031

ForwardReturn to IndexBack

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.