Injured Hiker Rescued & Volunteer Squad Also Searches for Overdue Hikers
September 06, 2017
The reporting source advised he and his son were hunting in the area of Dude Mountain and had voice contact with a hiker who indicated he had fallen, injured his leg and was unable to move. Because of the steep terrain, the hunters were not able to reach the injured hiker. The Alaska State Troopers were contacted and by 5:00 PM a medical team on board a Temsco helicopter lifted off for Dude Mountain. The aircraft made visual contact with the hunters who were able to direct the rescue team to the accident site. The Alaska State Troopers identified the injured hiker as Zach Green age, 27 of Florida. The helicopter was able to insert the rescue team 150 feet below the injured hiker. The team climbed to the accident site finding the injured hiker with a badly broken leg on a small ledge, in steep terrain at the base of a 150 foot cliff.
While Green was being treated, a second Temsco helicopter utilized a cargo net to deliver rope rescue equipment to the site, additional rescue personnel were also deployed. The team "packaged" Green and set up a rope system to lower him 300 feet to a landing zone capable of the larger medevac helicopter.
Green was taken to Ketchikan PeaceHealth Medical Center for treatment. The Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad posted on their FaceBook page, "It's easy for anyone exploring in the backcountry to slip and get injured. Carrying a whistle and brightly colored clothing were instrumental for the hiker to get the attention of other people in the area who were able to call 911 and give location information." The Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad recommends anyone leaving the road system, even for a day hike, to carry basic signaling, First Aid, and survival gear to get you through, should something unforeseen happen. The Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad also responded to hikers overdue from a day hike last Thursday just before noon. The Alaska State Troopers contacted the Rescue Squad's duty officer reporting a male and a female hiker overdue from a day hike from the Deer Mountain Trailhead to Silvas Lake Trailhead. It was reported the two had some hiking experience having successfully completed the Chilkoot Trail. The reporting source indicated the two hikers left sometime early on August 29th (Wednesday) and expected to reach the Silvas trailhead sometime that day, where they planned on calling to be picked up. They had advised they should not be considered overdue until August 30th in case they ran into weather. The Alaska State Troopers located the overdue hikers' vehicle in the Deer Mountain parking lot and indicated the reporting source had also hiked up the Silvas Trail looking for them. At 1:11 PM Thursday, the Alaska State Troopers advised they had been notified the reporting source had made contact with the overdue party and reported the two hikers were in Ketchikan and in no distress. There was no information available regarding their trip or the circumstances of their late return. According to Jerry Kiffer with the Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad, participation in the SPOT Beacon Loan Program could have been beneficial in this case as the beacon could have been used to notify the rescue squad that they were okay and would be late returning from their hike. The SPOT Beacon Loan Program is a free service provided by the Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad. Check out a free SPOT Beacon from the Ketchikan Library, Visitor Center, or Alaska State Trooper Station can give you another way to signal for help and give your location even if you are out of cell range.
Reporting & Editing by Mary Kauffman, SitNews
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