Inyo SAR Incident 12/12 (Mt. Whitney)

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Inyo SAR:

At 2PM on December 12, 2023, Inyo SAR was called out for a hiker at 13,600 ft elevation on Mt Whitney. He was experiencing severe symptoms of acute mountain sickness (AMS) and was unable to hike down. Therefore, his hiking partner called for help using the SOS-function of his satellite messenger device.

Inyo SAR assembled 3 rescuers at the Lone Pine airport, where they met with H-80, a helicopter from CHP Inland Division Air Operations. H-80 had already flown over the mountain to confirm the subjects’ location and determined that the terrain required a hoist since there was nowhere to land.
One of Inyo SAR’s rescuers joined the helicopter crew, they flew back to the mountain and hoisted her down, where she assessed the patient and facilitated his hoist and evacuation to Lone Pine. Due to nightfall, she couldn’t get hoisted out herself (CHP only runs hoist operations in daylight), so she hiked to the nearest landing zone, from where she finally got picked up at around 6PM.

What had happened?
The subject and his partner had spent the night at 11,600 ft, where the subject already felt nauseous. Blaming unwell feelings on food, they set out on their summit attempt in the early morning, but soon it became clear that the subject was feeling worse and also dizzy as they gained more and more elevation. The partner recognized the problem at hand and urged that they both turn around. However, the subject insisted on hiking to the summit and even threatened to go alone. The partner opted to stay with him and accompanied him further up the mountain. Upon reaching Trail Crest, the subject was so incapacitated, he couldn’t continue – in either direction.
We urge everyone to listen to your hiking partners and your body. If you don’t feel well or if someone gets concerned about you, turn around! AMS can significantly reduce your ability to make rational decisions.

Both hikers had enough warm layers to wait several hours for the rescue in 10-degree weather without getting hypothermia and/or frost bite. We’d especially like to thank the hiking partner who stayed with the subject at all times – this likely saved his life!

Inyo County Search and Rescue is an all-volunteer and unpaid professional non-profit 501(c)3 organization working in cooperation with and under the direction of the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office. Providing search and rescue services to and its visitors is only possible only thanks to donations.