Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
FreeCoffee
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, CA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 16, 2012 - 03:53pm PT
|
Joshua Tree National Park News Release
Injured Climber Rescued at Joshua Tree National Park
Park Rangers and local rescue personnel responded Tuesday, February 14, to a report of an injured rock climber at Joshua Tree National Park. Michael Mullen, 30, of San Diego, California, was climbing with companions on the Outer Mongolia rock formation. At approximately 1:00 p.m., Mullen was on belay when he lost his footing and fell an estimated 50 feet sustaining a head injury and cuts and abrasions.
Park emergency personnel received notice of the accident at 1:30 p.m. Park rangers and Joshua Tree Search and Rescue volunteers responded to the incident as well as National Park Service Fire Engine 3632, Morongo Basin Ambulance, San Bernardino County Engine 36, and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff’s Department helicopters Air Rescue 5 and 40 King 6 also supported the rescue operation. Approximately 20 search-and-rescue personnel were involved in the incident. Park Ranger Jimmy Pritchett was Incident Commander.
Mullen received emergency treatment for his injuries and at 4:00 p.m. was taken by helicopter to Loma Linda for further medical treatment. The National Park Service advises the use of helmets for all climbing and bouldering activity in the park.
Hope you have a speedy recovery.
Bernadette Regan
JT Climbing Ranger
|
|
SCseagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
|
|
|
Feb 16, 2012 - 03:57pm PT
|
Hoping for a good outcome...speedy recovery
Susan
|
|
neversummer
Trad climber
30 mins. from suicide USA
|
|
|
Feb 16, 2012 - 03:58pm PT
|
Hope all ends well...
|
|
Fluoride
Trad climber
West Los Angeles, CA
|
|
|
Feb 17, 2012 - 04:04am PT
|
Any updates on this?
|
|
neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
|
|
|
Feb 17, 2012 - 06:48am PT
|
hey there say, freecoffee, oh no... head injury, :(
will surely be praying for him...
get well soon, michael
|
|
Sdclimbskis
Trad climber
San Diego
|
|
|
Feb 21, 2012 - 01:10am PT
|
This is very unfortunate. Michael, we wish you a speedy recovery. On a better note we climbed Outer Mongolia this past weekend and to our surprise we found that each bolt on Bull with Gas had a shiny new QuickDraw on it. I presume that these belong to either Michael and his climbing friends or fellow climbers that were involved with the rescue that day. I would like to see this hardware returned to its owner. If these are yours or you know who they belong too - please drop me a line.
Eric
pacific beach, San Diego
|
|
Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
|
|
|
Feb 21, 2012 - 09:54am PT
|
Hope Michael is going to be OK......anyone have an update?......(Who names these climbs;... A Bull w/Gas...c'mon...). Many thanks to the Park Service and rescue people;.....
|
|
enjoimx
Trad climber
Kirkwood, ca
|
|
Park rangers and Joshua Tree Search and Rescue volunteers responded to the incident as well as National Park Service Fire Engine 3632, Morongo Basin Ambulance, San Bernardino County Engine 36, and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff’s Department helicopters Air Rescue 5 and 40 King 6 also supported the rescue operation
This seems excessive and ridiculous.
I hope the guy is O.K.
|
|
jlnclimbs
climber
CA
|
|
I'm thinking my new Wilson Sleek signal booster may be great for situations like this one to call for help.My mom likes that thought as well.
Prayers and thoughts are with you.
|
|
WBraun
climber
|
|
fell an estimated 50 feet sustaining a head injury and cuts and abrasions.
That's the statement after they have the full status on the vic.
Head injury is a stat response, full on serious and always has a lot of personnel and resources response normal operating protocols due to uncertainty.
enjoimx -- "This seems excessive and ridiculous."
Armchair Incident commander who's never done it ......
|
|
RtM
climber
DHS
|
|
Always get a chill down my back when I hear those sirens rolling through the Park
...then the helicopter.
Curious - if the accident happened at Outer Mongolia, why were there so many rangers in the Hemingway parking lot?
|
|
Truthdweller
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
|
|
Call out the calvary, then cancel what you don't need. Call out the "appropriate" manpower (whoever knows that, I'd like to meet 'em) and compromise patient care while waiting for more resources to arrive. Pretty simple...live and learn.
Edit: Overtreating a patient is better than undertreating. Ya get yourself in trouble by doing the latter.
|
|
neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
|
|
hey there say, all... just checking in, and hope he is
doing well...
head injures are 'unpredictable' as to being
bad trouble, even after the injury, :(
hope he gets some good stable time, for a good
stretch, after this, with minimal after affects...
:)
|
|
steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
|
|
Few weeks back here, we were climbing at local park area. Big ruckus, sirens all over the place. No less than FOUR full-on fire engines rolled into the park's parking lot. We figured it had to be some sort of mass mountain lion mauling or something, but eventually watched a buttload of fire doods hoofing down the trail with what looked like the "victim" walking along side. The big wheel litter deal was rolling along with them empty. When I asked what happened on the way out, the lady in the booth said a young girl had an asthma attack. They were taking her blood pressure there by the booth.
|
|
couchmaster
climber
pdx
|
|
Mullen was on belay when he lost his footing and fell an estimated 50 feet sustaining a head injury and cuts and abrasions.
How the what the ...HUH? Werner or anyone: what does that mean? On Belay and fell? Whut? Do they mean lead fall?
Well, there could have been something strange occur, thoughts to the fella to heal up soon.
|
|
jlnclimbs
climber
Apple Valley CA
|
|
Falls in jtree usually are short, so my first thought was he decked ...but on belay on a bolted climb?
|
|
Fluoride
Trad climber
West Los Angeles, CA
|
|
Since no one is responding in happie's thread (I bumped it but it's already falling off the front page), there was another accident on Sat. 3/3, guy apparently fell and ripped three pieces on Overseer on Hemingway. Enough that they had to life flight him out of there. Seemed like a pretty big operation. Anyone know more?
RtM, Saturday's accident was separate. Happie posted originally about it but said in her title "today" didn't date it so I think a lot of people mistook it for this.
As for the accident on Bull on Gas, Todd - what's your guess? This is your route so any idea what could have precipitated this? You know the gear.
Hope both guys are okay and recover.
|
|
Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
|
|
The climb "A Bull w/Gas" has about 10 bolts and one fixed pin at the start. First you climb up a 4th class slab for about 50 feet, then you clip a "fixed pin" and just a few feet above the fixed pin is the first of ten or so bolts. Unfortunately, the climber fell at the fixed pin before he clipped the first bolt, which is just a few feet above the fixed pin. The climbing at this point is about 5.7 on a 5.10- climb. The climber fell, the pin pulled, and the climber probably rolled, slid, and bounded down the 50" slab to the deck. This is what I understand happened....but I could be wrong. Fixed pins are dicey. And he didn't bring any other gear because it's a sport climb. Climbing is a dirty and dangerous sport. I've pulled "fixed" gear myself, from falling or hanging on gear that was in the rock and not placed by me. It's an unfortunate accident. I will go out there soon and place a bolt where the fixed pin was. Hope this lad is OK...it's a long fall, for sure. The dark side of climbing rears it's ugly head once again. I too have had climbing accidents resulting in trips to the hospital or doctor's office;...it's the nature of the beast. Speedy and complete recovery to this injured climber;...not the best way to celebrate Valentine's Day either. Should I have placed a bolt there instead of a pin;....in hind site.....yes;....of course. Should we put up run out first ascents?....I don't very often, but some people do. Should we use fixed pitons that can come out;...I do all the time, and they mostly stay in the rock.....I try to put up safe routes that people can enjoy without getting hurt, mamed or killed on......still, climbing is a dirty and dangerous sport......with all the draws on the climb;...I bet someone else lead the climb earlier...pulled the rope, and then Michael was going for the lead with the draws already in place.....after he fell and got rescued...the draws were left as the climbing for that day was definately finished....(This is what I imagine went down...).....
|
|
GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
|
|
Fixed pins... yay. Time to start bringing a hammer to Mongolia ;D
Just kidding... don't be touching a hammer to rock in wilderness without a permit, kids.
|
|
Fluoride
Trad climber
West Los Angeles, CA
|
|
Thanks for the response Todd. Well thought out and appreciated.
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!