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treddy
Trad climber
On the road
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 2, 2014 - 02:35am PT
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We saw a helicopter come in near Hemingway towards the end of the day today, and when we drove by later on our way out of the park, the whole place was lit up with rangers and lights on the wall. Just wondering if there was a climbing accident and, if so, if the folks involved are ok?
Tx,
Tim
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rlf
Trad climber
Josh, CA
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I should have info today. I'll post up.
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robd
Trad climber
Riverside, CA
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The response started mid day. When I left the park around 5p they were still there with a chopper on the ground at Hemingway and one in the air searching the nearby hills. It seemed to be a search for a missing person(s) rather than a climbing accident.
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shipoopoi
Big Wall climber
oakland
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it was a climbing accident. a female leader, climbing white lightning, fell near the top and sustained injuries to her back and leg, and maybe her head. i watched the final stages as she was loaded into a litter and lowered. whoever was managing her into the litter was pretty good, as he was the only one on the wall packaging her, and he did it without a ledge, just off the cliff face. they were planning to fly her to a hospital in palm springs. she was in a lot of pain, especially back pain. i hope she is as well as can be and recovers well. ss
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Seamstress
Trad climber
Yacolt, WA
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Nice to hear that the response was competent. Litter tending scoops should be a skill that is dialed in - generally taught in most high angle rescue classes for both MRA and NFPA. Local teams don't always practice it enough.
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Wow hope she heals fast! I saw a rescue personnel while driving past at the depression/bowl about 20' from the top of white lightning - thought someone might have had trouble there.
I think that was the last 5.7 I took a leader fall on, too...
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Ward Trotter
Trad climber
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Hoping for the best of recovery outcomes.
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Dirka
Trad climber
Hustle City
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Heal up
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Al_Smith
climber
San Francisco, CA
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Hope she is ok and heals quickly.
Also, was in Rattlesnake Canyon on 12/30 and saw emergency personnel streaming into the picnic area there. Any idea what happened there?
Hope everyone in both incidents ends up ok.
Thanks, Al
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rlf
Trad climber
Josh, CA
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I spoke with the SAR leader this morning. The account is pretty accurate. She got off route towards Poodles Are People Two. She took a fall and bounced and landed in the wide area below the OBVIOUS crack to the left.
I hope she feels better.
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treddy
Trad climber
On the road
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 3, 2014 - 11:04am PT
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Thanks for the update. Hope she is ok.
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urbanfood
Trad climber
santa monica
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i was on the scene soon after the fall had happened. someone notified the ranger of an injured climber but that was it. the ranger had no info and didn't even know if the climber was conscious.
we just got back from playhouse and the ranger was in his jeep in the hemingway parking lot on his loudspeaker trying to get more info from anyone on the wall. i went over to the ranger to find out what was going on and since info was sparse, i offered to run out and find out the condition, so that is what i did.
one of the climbers was able to climb up to the injured climber. they were 3/4 up white lighting, just before the route goes left. we were unable to lower her because of the sustained injuries and possible spinal chord injury. she was secured and in a seated position.
so i went back to ranger to let him know the condition and that we weren't going to be able to lower her without a litter. that is when he notified SAR.
i made a couple of trips back and forth and when SAR finally showed up, i led one of the guys right to the climber and two others went around back to get to the top.
once SAR arrived, they escaped the belay for the boyfriend while another member ascended to the injured climber. the litter was prepared and sent up.
the members on top of the wall lowered down a neck brace. it took them at least an hour to get her in the litter as it was just about dark by then. i'm sure it was a difficult task.
two helicopters came and they were actually talking about landing on top, which i knew there wasn't room for that. they put down on the flat ground and waited.
if anyone hears from the party, please let me know. i know one of the guys name is clay (he was the one up on the wall that i was talking to). i didn't catch the boyfriend's name but he thanked me before we left. i'd like to touch base with them.
there were about a dozen or so climbers around so i was surprised nobody had run out to the ranger beforehand.
i thought a lot about the sequence of events of that day from when i arrived on scene. here's what i could have done better in anticipation of SAR arrival.
1. help the boyfriend escape the belay. even though the injured climber was secured, he kept her on belay from the ground. he was like that for 1.5 hours or so. (i took a rescue class in november, but honestly couldn't recall the exact details.). since getting home, i've brushed on my escaping belay.
2. instruct one of the climbers up top (i recall seeing at least one) to setup a fixed line which would allow SAR to ascend to the top without having the arduous task of scrambling around the backside.
3. have the climber who was with the injured climber set a fixed line there so when SAR arrived, they could quickly ascend to her. the climber already had a two point anchor, but i could have instructed them to make a 3 point anchor for the fixed line. that was basically what SAR did.
although the hemingway wall is a quick jog from the parking lot, it probably took SAR 1.5 hours before they actually got to the wall. in that time, injured climber was in the shade and getting cold. additional clothing was sent up to her prior to SARs arrival.
had I done the three items above, it would have saved some time and probably saved the injured climber from being lowered down in the dark.
all in all, it was a safe rescue and seeing one take place cements in my mind the stuff i learned in the rescue class in november.
prayers for the injured climber and her boyfriend. i would love to hear from them if anyone gets in contact.
David
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FreeCoffee
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, CA
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Joshua Tree News Release
Release Date: January 2, 2014
Contact: Jennie Kish Albrinck, 760-367-5520/928-638-0520 or Lorna Shuman 760-367-5521
Climber Falls at Hemingway in Joshua Tree National Park
JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK, Twentynine Palms, CA – On January 1, 2014, Kennya Pimentel, 20 of Las Vegas, Nevada fell while climbing at the Hemingway Buttress area of Joshua Tree National Park. Ms Pimentel fell about six feet and became wedged in a crevice approximately 100 feet above the ground. She was not wearing a safety helmet and initially complained of both head and hip injuries. National Park Service Rangers from Joshua Tree National Park, volunteers from the Joshua Tree Search and Rescue (JOSAR) team, and Sheriffs Officers and helicopters from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office responded to the rescue. JOSAR team members used a high angle rescue system to extract Ms. Pimentel from the crevice, and safely lower her to the ground. All precautions were taken to stabilize her during the evacuation. She was then airlifted to Desert Regional Hospital and released this morning. Fortunately she sustained no serious injury. The rescue took about five hours.
This incident was one of many search and rescue emergencies that occurred at Joshua Tree National Park over this past week. On Monday and Tuesday, there were other incidents that resulted in minor injuries including a twisted ankle. National Park Service Rangers also initiated a search for an overdue hiker who lost the trail when the sun set in the Black Rock Canyon area late New Year’s Day.
The Joshua Tree National Park staff reminds all visitors to please be careful when hiking and climbing in the park. Be aware of your
surroundings, wear protective helmets and gear when climbing, always carry a flashlight or headlamp, and be aware of sunset times so you do not get caught on a trail in the dark.
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urbanfood
Trad climber
santa monica
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freecoffee, thanks for posting that! the fact that there were no serious injuries and she was released is great news. i have been thinking about her since then wondering how bad the injuries were. potential spinal chord injuries are always scary.
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phylp
Trad climber
Millbrae, CA
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She was not wearing a safety helmet
If you don't already have one, a good new year's resolution is to buy and wear a helmet.
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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If you don't already have one, a good new year's resolution is to buy and wear a helmet.
I HAAAAATE wearing a helmet. I have a super-fast metabolism and sweat buckets in them, same with jeans or hard shells or anything else fly climbers wear.
After years of searching the petzl Meteor III+ and Black Diamond Vapor are damn near impossible to remember you're even wearing. Hot days, long days, even with a visor and sunglasses, these bad boys are out of the way and breathable - good stuff if you aren't too keen on brain buckets.
Here's to a swift recovery and more fun!
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
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Good idea on setting up a fixed line Urban'. Maybe two with super solid anchors to handle traffic, one on either side of the victim.
Especially valuable on that type of situation; short wall as opposed to multi-pitch.
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little Z
Trad climber
un cafetal en Naranjo
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set a fixed line there so when SAR arrived, they could quickly ascend to her.
good idea in theory, but I doubt any SAR team is going to get on a line without first checking the anchors themselves
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urbanfood
Trad climber
santa monica
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geeze, someone commented the same thing about SAR not using a fixed line over on my post at mountainproject. here's my response over there;
they did just that when they arrived. the only thing they instructed the other climber to do was put in a third piece. they ascended the climber's line on the climber's anchor, not one SAR put up.
i don't see a problem with it. you just explain to them your setup.
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urbanfood
Trad climber
santa monica
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Spider, i like the idea of the two lines on either side. as i mentioned in the post, it took SAR about 1.5 hours to get to the base of the wall once they were called in. so i think anything that can be done beforehand, should be done. especially with shorter days.
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