Pilot of dangerous Superstition Mountain rescue last week involved in three previous rescues

DPS Air Rescue Crew assists in Superstition Mountains

Friday, March 09, 2012 -

On Friday, March 2, at 4:06 p.m, DPS Phoenix Ranger was requested by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office to assist in the search and rescue and technical rescue of an injured person 3.5 miles north of the First Water Trailhead in the Superstition Mountains. The injured hiker was trapped 100 feet from the top of the canyon wedged into a tight slot. The Ranger crew flew to the trailhead and started inserting 14 technical rescue crew members from the Central Arizona Mountain Rescue Association (MCSO-CAMRA). The 14 rescuers were dropped east of the rescue scene using a skid. This operation took place at night requiring the air crew to use vision goggles. Ranger remained on standby at the trailhead while CAMRA affected a ground rescue of the patient. When ready, Ranger flew back to the scene and extricated the patient using a litter. The injured hiker was flown to the trailhead and turned over to MCSO and Southwest Ambulance. He was admitted to Scottsdale Osborn Trauma Center.

This mission began shortly after 4 p.m. and ended at about 1:40 a.m.

The hiker identified as Edward Weston, 47, from Washington remains in Scottsdale Osborn hospital in serious but stable condition.

The pilot, Hunter French, was also involved in the rescue of several teens hiking in the White Tank Mountains last week.

Multi-agency effort at Waterholes Canyon rescues stranded German tourist

35-year-old hiker, stranded for 2 1/2 days, reported missing by his wife in Zurich, Switzerland

 

 

Flagstaff, AZ- In a joint effort between The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Page Fire Department and the Arizona Department of Public Safety, a German tourist was rescued out of Waterholes Canyon on Monday after having been trapped in the canyon for two and a half days.  Waterholes Canyon is a difficult slot canyon some five miles south of Page and is a tributary to the Colorado River .

On Monday, Feb. 20, at about 2 a.m., the CCSO received a report of a possible missing hiker in the Waterholes Canyon area approximately three miles south of the city of Page , AZ. 

The 35-year-old man, of Zurich Switzerland, entered the canyon about noon on Friday with the intention of going just beyond the first rappel.  He carried one short length of rope that he used to go down the first dry waterfall.  He sustained rope burns to his hands during this maneuver and was then unable to climb back up the rope to return to his vehicle. He also injured his ankle at this time.  The injured hiker continued down the canyon using other ropes that he found hoping to reach the Colorado River .  When he came to a 400 foot drop, he knew he was stuck in the canyon.  With no cell phone reception, he began to wait for rescue. 

The hiker’s vehicle was located at the canyon trailhead near Hwy 89 at milepost 542 by the Navajo Police Department earlier that morning after receiving a missing person report from the subject’s wife in Switzerland.

A supervisor for the Page Division of the CCSO and an Arizona Department of Public Safety officer responded to the rim of Waterhole Canyon and began walking to known locations and calling out to the overdue hiker.  At about 5:45 pm, just beyond the second set of drop-offs, the deputy and officer made voice contact with the hiker.  Meanwhile CCSO Sheriff’s Search and Rescue personnel were activated and their technical rescue team was en route to the area.  DPS Air Rescue out of Flagstaff was also called for assistance.  When rescuers arrived at the scene, they were quickly met by Page Fire and a Unified Command was established. 

Eventually three rescuers descended into the canyon and established contact with the victim.  He was evaluated and treated for his injuries and also given warm dry clothing and warm fluids.  The hiker was then assisted back to the rim of the canyon and taken to a Page hospital for treatment of his injuries.  He was later transferred to Flagstaff Medical Center for continued evaluation and care.  

In all, 21 responders were on the scene and spent approximately 215 combined hours on this mission, utilizing six full-sized vehicles, two UTVs and one helicopter during the rescue.

Fixed wing aircraft, ground search teams locate stranded NAU students

Students went to Paria Plateau for school project, vehicle became disabled in deep sand

Flagstaff, Arizona -  On Monday, Feb. 13 at about 7:45 a.m. the Coconino County Sheriff’s
Office received a call of an overdue Northern Arizona University student conducting an air sampling study with her roommate on the Paria Plateau.

The two female students left Flagstaff for the Paria Plateau near Houserock Valley for a school project on the morning of Feb. 12 with intentions of returning that evening. While traveling on the plateau in the deep sand their vehicle became disabled in an area where cell phone coverage was not available.

The National Park Service at Glen Canyon received the initial report of the missing students and notified the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office of the incident Monday morning. Deputies from CCSO Page and Fredonia substations, along with a Bureau of Land Management ranger, responded to the Paria Plateau.

CCSO Search and Rescue personnel retrieved location information from maps and coordinates provided with the assistance of NAU staff. The National Park Service aided in the search of these areas with a fixed wing aircraft and located the truck driven by the students at 10:30 a.m.

Ground search teams found the two students approximately 11 ½ miles away from their vehicle near Pine Tree Pocket at approximately 10:45 a.m.

The Sheriff’s Office would like to remind all travelers to be aware of the conditions and terrain they are traveling in and be prepared for disabled vehicles in remote areas.

Coconino County Sheriff's deputies rescue stranded motorists

Sheriff's Office: All travelers should know the conditions of their travel routes and be prepared for winter travel issues.

 

Flagstaff, Arizona - Coconino County Sheriff's deputies and Search and Rescue located three stranded motorists 16 miles west of Tusayan Thursday, Dec. 29 after receiving a 911 call at about 5 p.m. on a cell phone from three stranded motorists.


The three travelers  had been driving a small Toyota sedan on non-maintained forest service roads west of Tusayan when their vehicle became stuck in the mud and snow.


They told the dispatcher they had been using their GPS tracking device to guide them to Supai when their vehicle became disabled due to poor road conditions.

 

The motorists originally gave emergency responders GPS Coordinates that placed their vehicle on the north rim of the Grand Canyon near Jacob Lake, and Page deputies were sent to locate them.  Further investigation confirmed their location actually was on the south rim of the Grand Canyon on Forest Road 328 H, approximately 16 miles northwest of Grand Canyon Airport.  Contact with the group was maintained via cell phone text messaging.

 

The individuals were requested to remain with their vehicle and advised that Arizona Department of Public Safety Air Rescue and Sheriff’s Office deputies were en-route to locate and assist them to safety. The individuals left their vehicle and began walking back toward Tusayan prior to the arrival of search personnel.  After walking approximately three miles, they became cold and wet and decided to return to their vehicle.  A Coconino County Sheriff’s deputy located all persons walking on a forest service road approximately 16 miles northwest of Tusayan.  All three were in good condition and did not require medical attention.  The three individuals were taken to Tusayan where they made arrangements for transportation to their final destination.

The Sheriff’s Office would like to remind all travelers to know the conditions of their travel routes and to be prepared for winter travel issues

36-year old Payson man critically injured in fall at Oak Creek Canyon

Mike McEntire of Payson was critically injured canyoneering with friends - rescue effort took 36 hours

Flagstaff, AZ – On the afternoon of Saturday August 13, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a critically injured fall victim in the West Fork area of Oak Creek Canyon.  Coconino County Search and Rescue personnel assisted by several other rescuers took over 36 hours to reach and safely extricate the fall victim from the canyon.

The victim, Mike McEntire, 36, of Payson was flown to John C. Lincoln Hospital.

McEntire was with a group of friends canyoneering in a slot or tributary canyon of West Fork.  He was on a 350-foot rappel and was on the last 150 feet of that rappel when he failed to maintain control and speed.  The victim fell 100 feet striking rock and then fell another 40 feet, ending up approximately 800 feet below the rim of the canyon.  The victim suffered serious head and internal injuries and a possible fractured pelvis. 

Two Coconino County Search and Rescue Technical Rescue Team Members were able to reach McEntire prior to midnight.  Due to the extreme terrain of the canyon and technical aspects of the rappel, the rescuers had approximately 2,400 foot of rappelling rope in service, and the rescuers required eight rappels and three swims to reach the victim.  Rescue workers remained with the severely injured victim throughout the night until his extrication at 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon.

On Sunday morning, a helicopter was called to the scene, but due to the location of the victim and the terrain, the helicopter was unable to perform a short haul of the patient.  It took several hours, and several rescuers to mechanically raise the patient 450-500 feet back up the canyon to where a Department of Public Safety helicopter could complete the short haul operation.  McEntire was then flown by Native Air to a local hospital.

Due to the situation and the terrain, helicopters were used to short haul some of the rescuers out of the canyon.  Over 25 rescuers and medical personnel were involved in this effort from Coconino County Search and Rescue, Sedona Fire District, Flagstaff Fire Department, Guardian Medical Transport, Flagstaff Medical Center, Department of Public Safety helicopters out of Kingman and Phoenix, and Native Air.