Grand Teton major rescue tally nears single-year record

Could some or all of these rescues have been avoided if the people involved had put more time and effort into planning and properly preparing for their outings?

LANDER, Wyo. — When Laura Mason’s controlled slide Thursday on a snowfield on 11,901-foot Nez Perce Peak sped out of control until she collided with rocks below, she became the 27th major rescue in Grand Teton National Park this year.

Because of high winds, park rescue rangers were unable to helicopter the Royal Oak, Mich., resident to medical help. Instead, rescuers made a technically complicated, 1,200-foot lowering of Mason, park spokeswoman Jackie Skaggs said.

The park’s annual record for major rescues set in 2000 was 30. In 2009, there were 16 major rescues followed by 17 in 2010.
“They usually flirt around 17 to 20 a year,” Skaggs said.

Rangers perform rescues all the time during the summer, but many are minor — a twisted ankle at a popular tourist destination or dehydration on a crowded trail. Park officials consider any rescue operation that costs more than $500 to be major.


Read more: http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming/article_d46d9fe2-db7e-5eda-b1e9-166718cac3aa.html

Really???

From the Associated Press: updated 12:00 p.m. MT, Sun., Oct . 25, 2009

FRESNO, Calif. - Last month two men and their teenage sons tackled one of the world's most unforgiving summertime hikes: the Grand Canyon's parched and searing Royal Arch Loop. Along with bedrolls and freeze-dried food, the inexperienced backpackers carried a personal locator beacon — just in case.

In the span of three days, the group pushed the panic button three times, mobilizing helicopters for dangerous, lifesaving rescues inside the steep canyon walls.

What was that emergency? The water they had found to quench their thirst "tasted salty."

Read the full story here.