Do You Read the NPS Morning Report?

The news isn't strictly Search and Rescue, but since I've been reading the Morning Report from the National Park Service, a lot of it has been. Thank you to J. Gary Brown, owner of Real World Productions, for bringing this to my attention.

From this morning's report, June 17, 2011:

Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (CA)
Woman Rescued After Three Hours Caught In Park Stream

"On Tuesday, a 52-year-old woman headed out from the Farewell Gap trailhead on a solo day hike as part of her training for an ultra-marathon. She hiked up Farewell Canyon, crossing Franklin Creek on a snow bridge. On her return trip, the snow bridge collapsed underneath her and she fell into the creek. She was swept downstream under the snow for 30 to 40 feet before being able to stop herself. She stood up in the creek under the snow, but had no access to the surface. Using her hands, she dug through about five feet of snow and created a small hole, then threw her backpack out of the hole. It was seen there by other visitors, who went to examine the pack and found the woman under the snow nearby. By that time, she'd been trapped in the creek under snow for over three hours and was hypothermic and incoherent. One person pulled her out while another went back to the trailhead to summon help; the other members of the group helped warm her. Rangers and a park helicopter with a medic on board were dispatched to the scene. When the rangers arrived, the woman declined either evacuation or medical assistance. The rangers helped her return to the trailhead. [Submitted by Dana Dierkes, Public Affairs Officer]"

Read about more National Park SAR incidents, fire management, scheduled trainings, and parks and people news at NPS.gov

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Have you read these books?

Lost Person Behavior: A search and rescue guide on where to look - for land, air and water, based on a landmark study, is the definitive guide to solving the puzzle of where a lost person might be found. It presents new and updated subject categories, behavioral profiles, current statistics, suggested initial tasks, and specialized investigative questions. Whether the subject is underground, underwater, under collapsed rubble, on land or has fallen from the sky, this book delivers what search managers need. This book is aimed at law enforcement and SAR personnel responsible for the initial response and subsequent search. Searchers in the field will also find this a fascinating and practical read.

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Specially commissioned for this volume are the accounts of a dramatic rescue executed by the Search and Rescue Team in Grand Canyon National Park; of the most remote mission ever undertaken by a helicopter rescue team, in the winter of 2000 on Mount Ararat; and of Jamie Andrew's extraordinary, international newsmaking 1999 rescue from the Alps. Rescue attempts are the real-life stuff of drama and suspense. They thrust the players into an elemental struggle for survival.