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Inyo SAR On Baxter Pass 8/2

Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2017 4:30 pm
by maverick
Inyo SAR:
On Wednesday evening Inyo County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from a group of backpackers reporting an injured hiker on the Baxter Pass trail near Independence. Three Inyo County Search and Rescue volunteers responded and hiked to the reported location, arriving at the patient at around 11:30pm. The patient, a solo backpacker in his forties, had slipped at a dangerous creek crossing and severely injured his leg, preventing him from walking or moving. He was found by the backpackers on a log in the middle of the creek, having waited over 36 hours for someone to find him and call for help.

Around midnight, Inyo SAR carefully moved the patient and stabilized his injury. The team and the patient remained there until dawn, when air support arrived from the California Highway Patrol Inland Division Air Operations H-82 helicopter. The helicopter crew expertly navigated within twenty feet of dozens of large trees, and successfully hoisted the patient over 100 feet into the helicopter for transport to the hospital.

Inyo SAR and the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the CHP – Inland Division Air Operations crew for their professionalism and skill while aiding in the Baxter Creek mission. While finishing up this mission, the helicopter flew to the Horton Lake area to pick up a patient with a injured ankle.

Re: Inyo SAR On Baxter Pass 8/2

Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 9:15 am
by psykokid
One of my frequent hiking partners was with his boss and his bosses nephew on a loop trip up baxter and out sawmill when they found the stricken hiker. He said he had to hike back down the trail about a mile to get cell signal to call 911. They saw the guy get helo'd out the next morning. When they found the fellow he was sitting on the log in the middle of the stream, wrapped up in his sleeping bag with a bloody leg. Glad they were able to make the call and get the help the fellow needed.