Five teenagers from Marin County Search and Rescue were among a team that helped save a climber stranded about 12,000ft up Mount Shasta in California after he fell into a crevasse and suffered a serious leg injury.
The 39-year-old man from Florida had reached the summit on Sunday, 18 October, before becoming lost while descending. He followed a GPS route on to Whitney Glacier, on the opposite side of the mountain from his ascent route, according to the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office.
He fell through a snow bridge at about 12,600ft and was unable to walk. After calling emergency services, he spent the night exposed to freezing temperatures while high winds and poor visibility prevented a helicopter from reaching him.
Two US Forest Service climbing rangers found him on Monday morning and provided medical assistance, but worsening conditions meant he had to remain on the mountain for a second night. By then, he was showing signs of hypothermia, officials said.
Mount Shasta rescue carried out in severe conditions
More than 30 rescuers from several counties were mobilised for the ground evacuation, including 11 members of Marin County Search and Rescue. The five teenagers in the group are trained rope technicians and had between two and three years’ experience with the team.
The Marin crew began climbing before dawn carrying a rescue litter, ropes, carabiners and warming equipment. Near the injured climber, rescuers faced winds estimated at up to 70mph, falling rocks and steep ground covered by loose volcanic rock, snow and ice.
Cody Davis, a 17-year-old member of the team, said some gusts were strong enough to knock rescuers off their feet. He also described rocks “probably the size of soccer balls” striking members of the group during the ascent.
The climber was placed in a litter and carried towards a landing area between Mount Shasta and its secondary peak, Shastina. Rescuers worked in rotating groups of between eight and 12 people as helicopter crews repeatedly attempted to reach the mountain.
A brief improvement in the weather finally allowed a California Highway Patrol helicopter to land at about 5.30pm on Tuesday, 20 October. The injured man was flown to hospital, while the rescue teams returned to the trailhead later that night.
Marin County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue says it is the only team in the United States with youth members serving as part of its mountain rescue operation. Teenagers can join from the age of 14 and train alongside adult members for technical and high-altitude missions.
