Wayne County Search and Rescue

[Brian in SLC]

Whew!

Epic write up. If you did that without much proofreading...wow. Even with, wow.

Glad everything turned out ok.

Kind of a lesson I think about is how important self rescue (if at all possible) is when you have that many folks out there at risk. Gives me the heebee jeebees to think about the airmed/lifeflight helicopters that have crashed in the last number of years around here too...

Crazy place to be with a storm bearing down and cold cold weather.

Whew.

Cheers,,

-Brian in SLC

[accadacca]

Yep, great read. Long? Yeah, but well worth the read. Glad you made it and looking forward to pix.

[Randi]

Do I get the longest post EVAR award?

PS My sis took a bunch of pics and I will post them when I get them.

Maybe one of the longest....certainly one of the most gripping!
I'd seen blurbs of this SAR rescue & wasn't paying attention to who it was. I'm very happy that everyone's OK, and that it all got worked out before worse weatehr came in. Great read Jaxx!!! Thanks for taking the time to write all this up!

[stefan]

wow, thanks for sharing the account, jaxx. gripping, indeed.
hope your father's knee is okay. i am sure your family is proud
to have a son like you.

[Alex]

That's very impressive. What a crazy read! I am sure it was a lot crazier being down there. Very happy everyone made it out ok. Hope your dad has a speedy recovery.

[Don]

Thanks for the write up. Really interesting story Jaxx.

[blueeyes]

WOW! Thanks for the write up. Glad everything turned out ok. WOW!

[oldno7]

Thanks for the detailed write up Nick, that must be why Chad said you would handle the writing chores. This should be a valuable lesson to the community at large about being prepared in a canyon for the "what if's". I think over all we are a very complacent group, with the unfounded expectation's that nothing can go wrong.
Incredibly glad it all worked out and everyone is back. Sounds like it could have gone from bad to worse very quickly. You and Chad should be commended on your effort's, I know it was family but you guy's did an outstanding job it sound's like. Also glad to hear of the effort's of Wayne County S&R. Sound's like they did a great job. This should be a learning experience for them, as well as all of us.
Kurt

[Win]

Hope your Dad is going to be OK. Thanks for a great write up, you did a terrific job all around.

Win

[Bo_Beck]

It is a "limited information problem". If your tool is good at looking for lost hikers, every call-out looks like a lost hiker. By the time they figured out it was a technical rescue, it was WAY too late.

Maybe it is time to build our own SAR system. The Hanksville area is especially poor in SAR resources, largely because no one lives out there, including none of us. We are all 5-6 hours away. Makes it more difficult.

thoughts??
Tom

Not being even remotely close geographically, it would be difficult for me to respond efficiently to any SAR's in this region, but I would be willing to lend my hand at some basic level of instruction to anyone that might be interested? I'll be on my 14th year soon with ZNP SAR. Over the years my training has strictly dealt with technical rigging. 7 Rigging for Rescue courses (advanced) with Kirk Mauthner, 3 Ropes that Rescue courses with Reed Thorne, Swiftwater Rescue GCNP, Search Management using WINCASIE, involvement at ITRS, monthly 1 day training at ZNP for 13 years and annual 1 week intensive training for 12 years. Over the years I have been involved in some capacity with numerous technical SAR's. The nature of SAR's in Zion often becon the use of Kootenay Highlines with Reeves. I feel that I have a pretty good knowledge of Technical Rigging including assessment and systems. I also believe that I have the ability to convey this knowledge and to coach hands on application. Would love to have the opportunity to share some of this knowledge if anyone might be interested? It might be a bit overkill (as in gear intensive) as compared to basic and or advanced self rescue, but in the Larry Canyon incident, it may have come in handy, at least to remove the remaining SAR Personnel, and hikers?

[Deeps]

I would be interested Bo.

[Jaxx]

Couple of things I didn't make clear in my first post:

They did have 4 headlamps between the 7 or 8 of them. My dad had 2 and my brother had 2 with them. So they weren't completely in the dark.

They carried my dad's backpack down the whole way. That was super nice of them and above the call IMO.

They carried, lowered, pushed, and pulled a wheeled litter all the way down canyon. My guess is the thing weighed over 80 lbs. My brother said they all took turns carrying a corner of it.

I do owe my wife a vacation. She is due in Jan. so no Freezefest for her. I didn't proof read my original post so sorry about spelling errors and if anything doesn't make sense.

Thanks everyone for helping comfort my wife while she was worrying about me. She was told that I was trying to climb the last 2 raps to get to the SAR guys and they were both about 80 ft up. That was 100% inccorect, we were just trying to find the exit crack. She has settled down now that she got the story first hand.

And a special thanks for those who offered to come down.

I feel the Bogley love!

[devo_stevo]

We're just glad that everything turned out ok. Great story for the grandkids later in life.

Oh, and why is there an ad for laser hair removal showing up in this thread? I didn't read anything about hair stuck in the rappel device or anything.

[Iceaxe]

Thanks for the write up Jaxx.

[Iceaxe]

Jaxx.... For your geewiz file....

Helicopters rescue stranded hikers
Desert News
Monday, Dec. 7, 2009

HANKSVILLE, Wayne County

[Brian in SLC]

I would be willing to lend my hand at some basic level of instruction to anyone that might be interested?

That's a great offer, Bo.

I think it'd be pretty interesting.

What would also be useful, is, to see a bit of "how the pro's do it" and compare that with how a scantily geared up standard canyoneer could effect a rescue. Especially your take on anchoring, rigging, etc.

A comparison of self rescue type techniques with pro rescue. Very useful. Might help to manage and understand risk a bit more.

Cheers!

-Brian in SLC

[chabidiah]

Bo- I would be very interested in learning some rigging and rescue techniques. It's funny how a situation like this is like a bi#@* slap to your ego. In the back of my mind I envisioned us going down there and pulling them out ourselves, "He-man style". But it becomes a realization that I need a lot more training and experience.

I think more than anything I was bummed that me and Jaxx didn't get to go in a and be evacuated by the heli.

[rawtree]

I have to make a comment about this situation. I am Nick's sister and it was also my Dad and Brother out there in the canyon.
I am so grateful to Nick and Chad for their knowledge on this subject and their utmost concern for being prepared and safe. These two are some really amazing men they kept calm and were so smart about everything they did. I am also so grateful to their wives and families and supporting them while they went out there in the dark and cold I know it took what seemed like a very like time and emotionally up and down but thank you for being patient.
If Chad and Nick were not there I know that the situation would have been alot more serious. The SAR was wonderful to our family and really helped us out alot.
If our Dad and younger brother had not kept their heads and were not as prepared as they were this may have been a recovery story instead of a rescue. My younger brother had to hike his way through the canyon in dark and he said the SAR guys that were with him were great.

I am new to this site and canyoneering but after watching Nick and Chad rescue my Dad and brother I have been inspired to learn all I can and prepare to go out next year. I will give nick some pics that I took of the canyon and rescue and have him post them.
THANK YOU AGAIN TO NICK AND CHAD FOR BEING OUR HEROES!!!!!!

[oldno7]

Bo
What a great offer, I too would be very interested in your offering. Surely no one here has your experience and knowledge on canyon rescue.

[Scott Card]

Jaxx, Well Done!!!! Nice write up and what an experience. Glad everyone is alive and I hope your dad will mend. I believe I know the exact spot where your dad got hurt. It is a slanty down climb where I often take a hand line. Glad you and your Chad are OK and it is great that you were there to help.