Search and Rescue

Share info and ask questions about great places to hike throughout the Death Valley and adjacent areas!

Search and Rescue

Postby BallaratBob » Thu Jul 19, 2018 6:41 am

Helicopter used to rescue man from Kern River
Stranded on a rock in the middle of rapids. Not a good situation to get yourself into!
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Re: Search and Rescue

Postby panamint_patty » Mon Jul 23, 2018 6:49 am

A look into Kern County Search and Rescue
Talk about community service! :thumb:
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Re: Search and Rescue

Postby wildrose » Mon Jul 23, 2018 8:59 am

Man dies after fall in Death Valley
A 57-year-old guy tried hiking up from the Big Four Mine to Panamint Butte. He fell and banged his head. The fall may have killed him, but it may have been the heat subsequent to the fall that did him in.
On Tuesday (July 17) at approximately 9:45am, the aerial search team located personal items including a backpack, empty water bottles and printed information referencing hiking Panamint Butte, which is about one mile east of the vehicle on the slopes of Panamint Butte. Shortly after noon, the aerial search team located more personal items about 2000 feet southwest of the backpack. While circling those items, they also located the missing hiker’s body in a wash about 500 feet southeast of the items.

It's way too hot to be hiking at lower elevations this time of year!
Mr. Rhoad’s backpack contained a route description to Panamint Butte, a rugged off-trail route involving about 4,000 feet of elevation gain over loose rocks without a trail or designated route. NPS rangers do not recommend hiking at low elevations in Death Valley National Park during the summer due to excessive heat.

LINKS:
https://www.sierrawave.net/man-dies-after-fall-in-death-valley/
https://bnqt.com/2018/07/20/hiker-dies-in-fall-in-death-valley-national-park/
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Re: Search and Rescue

Postby twister » Tue Jul 24, 2018 6:52 am

I have been to the Panamint Dunes and to the Big Four Mine during the cooler months. I wouldn't visit either this time of year. To attempt a strenuous hike in that location this time of year doesn't make sense. In fact, it's suicidal!
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Re: Search and Rescue

Postby deathvalleyjake » Thu Jul 26, 2018 7:10 am

Fallen, injured Sisters fire captain rescued in Death Valley
This is from over a year ago, but it's interesting. Hades Canyon is considered one of the most difficult canyons to traverse by most canyoneers.
The hike starts at approximately 5,475 feet in elevation at the parking lot, includes 14 rappels and ends near Bad Water at around 200 feet below sea level. The group started their day in the parking lot around 7:15 a.m. on Thursday, April 13. They had covered approximately 3,500 feet in elevation and 4 ½ miles of linear distance when around 3:30 p.m. during the fourth rappel; Captain Thornton Brown lost control of a rappel and suffered an approximate 40-foot fall. He was the first of the three to rappel down.

ARTICLE: https://www.ktvz.com/news/fallen-injured-sisters-fire-captain-rescued-in-death-valley/454189413
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Re: Search and Rescue

Postby panamint_patty » Mon Feb 04, 2019 7:08 pm

The Mystery of the Death Valley Germans
Most people probably recall hearing about this story back around 2009 when the bones were found. It was big news at the time. This guy compiled lots of info about the incident and put it all into a report that's just under fifteen minutes in length.
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Re: Search and Rescue

Postby deathvalleyjake » Tue Feb 05, 2019 7:17 am

panamint_patty: That video brings back haunting memories. The host seems to imply at the end that there is room for doubt about all the bones belonging to the four members of the German family. Lack of DNA confirmation does leave open the possibility that they belong to someone not in the group, but what are the odds?
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Re: Search and Rescue

Postby surfsteve » Tue Feb 05, 2019 8:22 am

That was an excellent video. It's sad what happened to them.
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Re: Search and Rescue

Postby recluse » Tue Feb 05, 2019 7:27 pm

The Hunt for the Death Valley Germans
This website has a lot of info about the search:
http://www.otherhand.org/home-page/search-and-rescue/the-hunt-for-the-death-valley-germans/
Lots of linked pages tell the entire story of the search and eventual discover of the bones of the Germans.
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Re: Search and Rescue

Postby ergot » Tue Feb 05, 2019 10:48 pm

What Really Happened to Kim Beverly and Carole Wetherton
Here's an interesting case from Utah. It's hard to say exactly what happened, but it underscores the importance of knowing your route well before you set out into the wilderness!
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