Soldiers rescue mountain climbers in Colorado | Breaks leg in process скачать в хорошем качестве

Soldiers rescue mountain climbers in Colorado | Breaks leg in process

National Guard Soldiers, civilians and county sheriff's personnel worked in tandem to rescue injured climbers in the Indian Peaks mountain range Sept. 7. "We left Boulder around 6 a.m. and planned to climb the relatively simple and straightforward, mostly fourth and fifth class, east ridge up Mount Bancroft," said climber Adam Pérou Hermans. "We planned to be back in Boulder by lunchtime, or early afternoon.It was fairly easy -- but technical -- climbing, but you never know what can happen," said Roop, an experienced climber and certified wilderness first responder who still doesn't remember the fall. In response, members of the Alpine Rescue Team, the Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, Flight for Life Colorado, and Colorado Army National Guardsmen from the 2nd Battalion, 135th General Support Aviation worked together to support the Clear Creek County Sheriff to bring the injured climbers to safety. Hermans recalled the incident: "The day was overcast, and we had a few big gusts and short bursts of hail, but nothing too rough. The climb was not on the main route, but it was easy. Sterling climbed the face with no problem, and was just walking along the top ledge when he slipped, as if on a banana peel or black ice. … To our horror, his slip propelled him off the ledge and he rag-dolled back down the face he'd just climbed, smashing and crashing into ledges and the rock wall along the way. At one point, a piece of gear (a nut) flew from the wall, and Sterling fell longer and farther than he should have. Fortunately, Alex held and caught the belay and Sterling stopped about eight feet above the ground. For a split second, I expected him to look up and mutter, 'Whoa!' as friends have after such scary moments in the past. Instead, Alex started screaming. Sterling was upside down, unconscious, bleeding profusely from the head, and making terrible noises—something between snoring and wheezing. His mouth was full of some sort of foamy, gray liquid. He's a huge guy (approximately 200 pounds) and I wrestled to flip him over." Because of the location and extent of Roop's injuries, ground rescuers determined that the safest and fastest way to get Roop off the mountain was to hoist him up via helicopter -- a unique capability almost exclusive to the National Guard. Wright and Leturno flew the helicopter into position over the patient at approximately 120 feet above him. In the mean time, the flight medic, Staff Sgt. Eric Williams, had secured himself to the jungle penetrator. Once in position Sgt. Steve Leflar, opened the right cabin door and started booming the hoist out, and Williams was lowered approximately 80 feet to a small clearing on the rock face, in close proximity to the patient. As he landed on the ridgeline, Williams maneuvered himself on a cliff at a precarious angle on his back and right side. As he attempted to get a better grip on the rock, he slid off the face. He was still attached to the jungle penetrator and hoist, so he only fell about 10 to 15 feet before the hoist line caught him, but he slammed back into the rock face and was knocked off his seat. Williams climbed up to the patient and continued with his mission, checking the rigging that Alpine Rescue Team had set up for the basket and attached the basket to the hoist cable. Alpine Rescue team also radioed the soldiers to give them a patient update. As the Black Hawk idled, the crew members learned that Williams had been injured. "This was a horrible feeling as we were informed that Williams had a possible unexposed compound fracture to the lower tibia." Meanwhile, on the mountain, the ground rescuers were now without a litter, so the team adapted by lowering Williams more than 200 feet from the ridgeline. Another rescuer then had to rappel down the same section of the mountain carrying the jungle penetrator on his back. This helped ensure the safest extraction from a lower LZ -- and to get the rescue team started on hiking out in case a medevac for Williams wasn't possible, as the mountain was again socked in with clouds. The Black Hawk crew decided to shut down to conserve fuel. Then the clouds broke for the last time that day. The crew moved into position quickly, hovering about 80 feet above Williams. When the National Guard helicopter was in position, the jungle penetrator was given to Williams, and he attached it to the hoist cable and secured his safety harness to the jungle penetrator. Leflar hoisted Williams up immediately. Once Williams was in the aircraft and the door was closed, the crew departed -- low on fuel but enough to get back safely. Two days later, Williams received surgery on his ankle to repair the broken tibia. Now in a soft cast, he's awaiting physical therapy in November. Roop was released from the hospital the following morning and he and his climbing partners were back in the mountains just weeks following the accident.