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Bassi Falls Search
December 1, 2008
On November 30, 2008 EDSO received a call from an out of area relative stating her elderly father and companion were overdue from a hiking trip and did not show up for their in-county dinner reservations. Patrol deputies were dispatched to several possible in-county waterfall/hiking settings, looking for the described vehicle.
Sgt Morton, the coordinator on call, placed a callout for SAR members to brainstorm on what venue the reporting party might be describing. Several members, consulting memory, the internet and maps offered their thoughts. Still no car, no callout.
Patrol Unit 12 CT (a two person unit, one of whom was a trainee) traveled to the forest service spur leading to Bassi Falls trail in the Crystal Basin. The subject's car was located at the trailhead parking area.
SAR members responding to the callout arrived between 2300 and 0100 hours. Two hasty teams went in to look for the subject and to retrieve the two deputies at Bassi Falls, who by this time had dead flashlights. The larger team split up for a wider return to CP, in order to provide a better search strategy. The team comprised by the two deputies and Mike R located the subjects, who had been out for the second night and only equipped for a fair weather day trek. After stabilization and warming, the subjects were slowly walked out to a forest service access for further medical assessment.
The temperature was dipping below 40deg F as the search was concluding.
Paul Duer added:
The SAR that started last night ended successfully about 3 a.m. this morniing.
The subjects were located around 0130, uninjured and ambulatory. However, getting them out proved to be an adventure in itself. They had been out Saturday night as well, and both were cold and exhausted. One had a cardiac history. After an extended hike with several pauses to rest, they made it to an ambulance and were taken to Marshall Hospital for evaluation.
This mission presented a bunch of challenges behind the scenes, including scratchy, intermittent communications, newly blocked forest roads, and two patrol deputies deep in the woods with dead flashlights. Improvisation was the order of the day. OHV members and county communications staff were drafted as foot searchers, management proved that color laser printers can work outdoors in close-to-freezing temperatures, and one of the deputies reportedly lit his path with his Taser.
This was the second successful SAR mission in four days and, notably, the second nighttime find. SAR can now claim credit for three subjects in a single week.
Lindac121 said...
Turnout for the last evening of a holiday weekend was quick. Response times were extended due to driving distances. Even with these obstacles the Hasty phase was extremely smooth. The new HP color printer proved itself in the field and pumped out accurate maps quickly. Two teams were deployed and efficiently covered the Bassi Falls creek area. An in-the-field redeployment split one team at Bassi Falls and doubled the searched area. Happily, one of the teams came upon the two lost subjects. They were bedded down in pine needles and somewhat oblivious to the searchers calls. The immediate call for a medic unit from County Fire to meet the subjects even though they appeared OK produced an almost simultaneous arrival by the subjects, the searchers and the medic unit at the pick up point.
Many good decisions effectuated a solid search and rescue with no wasted time. Search is an emergency. This search went off without a hitch...must have been the turkey dinners.
Mike R said...
Turnout was good for a late night call out but more importantly the results were what we all wish for. We had three teams in the field and team. Our team located the subjects bedded down and very cold. The subjects told us they had been out there since Saturday morning. They had tried hiking back to their vehicle but they got turned around and subsequently lost. There were many trails and old 4WD road that are now closed. It could be confusing and misleading to any one who went out for a picnic without nighttime gear. The hike out was a process. The subjects were slow moving due to being tired, exhausted and off the meds. Trying to find the fastest and easiest way out also was hard due to terrain, light, and conditions. Once we reached the bottom it was great to see all the EMT?s waiting and ready to assist with all the subjects? medical needs.
I would like to say thank you. I thought this was a job well done with out many bumps. Everyone was flexible and willing to go where needed.
COM1 said:
Yes it was fun to get in the woods again. Most of the time I have to work at the CP. Since we only had 6-7 people, and since 12CT had little or no light to get back, Phil and I figured on hiking. After finding 12ct setting them up with great flashlights we decided to stay in the field and so did the two deputies, with the help of Mike R (great GPS skills). We soon found our hikers . I believe that Mike gets the find. Getting them out well that took all of us thanks to everyone and remember we do it to save people and after the ground went below 30 degrees I doubt that the gentleman would have made it a 2nd night. Oh and the other reason we do it is for the stories we can tell.
Frank Yost
Communications Manager
El Dorado County Sheriff
News story: Searchers find couple lost in Pollock Pines
By Ken Paglia | Democrat staff writer | December 03, 2008 16:00
A Sacramento couple was rescued Monday by two El Dorado County Sheriff's deputies and a Search and Rescue team after getting lost near Bassi Falls in Pollock Pines.
Ronald Wroten, 71, and Rhonda Mayfield, 56, went to Bassi Falls Saturday for a day hike and a picnic. The couple hiked in, but then couldn't find their way out.
When Wroten and Mayfield didn't show up for a scheduled dinner, family called law enforcement.
"The deputies called friends that gave Ronald and Rhonda directions to the falls, and found out where they were going," said Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Bryan Golmitz.
Officers found the victims' car at the trailhead, and went in to search.
Later that evening, a Sheriff's Department Search and Rescue team was assembled. "Typically we wait until daylight, but it was 29 degrees out, so it was pretty cold," said Golmitz.
The two deputies hiking back out found the couple, huddled together in an open area of the woods, Golmitz said.
"They had the blanket for their picnic wrapped around them, and they made a makeshift mattress out of pine needles," he said.
Wroten was reportedly fatigued, and couldn't immediately hike out. Search and Rescue volunteers built a fire for the victims and brought in food and liquids.
Eventually the couple had enough energy to make the hike back to the trailhead.
Golmitz said the couple had taken several smart precautions, including putting themselves in an open area, with few trees, in case a rescue helicopter flew overhead.
"They did a good job. These people had some skills. They took precautions and used the resources they could," said Golmitz.
Paul Duer, SAR members,
Over the next couple of days, when the spirit of Christmas finds you thankful and reflective, please take a moment to feel appreciated, too.
The note below is from the two people who we rescued a few weeks ago after they were lost for two nights in the Bassi Falls area. Bernie Morton shared this with us at the Christmas party, but I wanted to make sure everyone who wasn't there had chance to see it, too. It says:
Dear EDSAR Angel,
Ours is a Christmas story, unfolding and opening our hearts in ways we could not have expected. We will never forget your part in our ?adventure? at Bassi Falls. We will never forget your compassion, your expertise, and your efficiency. We will never forget the sight of those bobbing flashlights coming toward us on that very dark night. We will never forget how good Cliff Bars and M&Ms can be! We will always be grateful for you and for who you have chosen to be.
With love and blessings,
Rhonda Mayfield and Ron Wroten
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