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Climber with possibly two broken ankles
By Bill
Blaschko, M.D.
Cameron
Robbins and I were waiting for the rest of the
team at Fuller Mill Creek Picnic Area when our
pagers went off announcing a rescue of an injured
climber on Tahquitz Rock. We stayed at the scene
of the first search until there was more
information available (see 1985-037). Fortunately
the missing subject was found and Cameron and I
were off to Camp Maranatha, the rendezvous for
the mission on Tahquitz Rock. Mary Bowman and
Walt Walker soon joined us. We learned that a
climber had fallen near the top of the Long Climb
and had possibly broken both ankles. The Long
Climb is a popular route, which as the name
implies, goes up the tallest portion of the rock.
The climb has a difficulty rating of 5.7 on a
scale from 5.1 to 5.12, the high the number the
harder the climb.
A rescue
strategy was formulated. It was felt that the
best plan was to land a team at the top of
Tahquitz Rock by helicopter to complete an
assessment of what men and equipment were
necessary to evacuate the subject. In the
meantime all the items that were most likely to
be needed were carefully laid out. I was selected
to go with Walt on the first trip because of my
medical expertise. I packed a cervical collar,
leg splints, blood pressure cuff and other first
aid gear into my pack. Other team members
prepared ropes, slings, and hardware needed to
raise the injured climber to the top of the rock
from where he could be flown to safety.
The sun was
just getting low in the sky when Don Landells
flew his helicopter into Camp Maranatha. Walt and
I wasted no time getting into the bird. As always
the view from the helicopter was spectacular as
we rose above Fern Valley. Don circled the rock a
number of times, testing the wind currents,
before resting one runner of the helicopter on a
rock outcropping near the top. Walt and I
evaluated the situation while Don hovered a safe
distance away. Our subject turned out to be one
tough customer. He had managed to get to the top
of the rock with the aid of some other climbers
in the vicinity. His left leg was significantly
injured and he had pushed himself up on his good
leg while the other climbers had painstakingly,
and painfully, dragged him to the top. I did a
rapid survey of the subject and found a number of
abrasions and bruises in addition to a very
swollen and painful left ankle. After splinting
the broken ankle the subject was maneuvered into
position to be loaded into the bird. Don made
another one runner landing in the fading light
and I quickly moved up the boulder and into the
bird. While I pulled on a sling I had attached to
the subject's climbing harness, Walt and the
other climbers boosted him into the helicopter.
Don flew to Camp Maranatha and gently landed.
Other RMRU team members were there to help the
subject out of the bird. The climber headed on to
Hemet Valley Hospital for x-rays and treatment.
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