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2008 Incident Response Log
November 29, 2008
Two snowshoers were reported lost on Trapp Family Lodge touring center ski trails. The subjects called by cell phone and were reportedly on the "40 Year Trail" (a new trail just cut this summer). Attempts at a return call were unsuccessful. Van Dyke responded to scene and others were enroute when thesubjects were located by Trapp's touring center staff on snowmachines near Russell Knoll. They were given a ride out of the woods and back to the touring center.
| Team Members Responding | Other Agencies Responding | Time of Call | Weather Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Van Dyke, Reinhardt, Couper |
Stowe Rescue ALS1 |
18:00-18:45 | Overcast, 35 |
November 1, 2008
Another dog was reported stuck in the Brewster River Gorge (see 8/10 response), however on arrival it was found not to have survived its fall into the gorge where it was swept downstream.
| Team Members Responding | Other Agencies Responding | Time of Call | Weather Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Couper, Speer, Selby, Reinhardt |
Colchester Tech, Cambridge Fire & Rescue |
13:30-17:00 | Fair, 35-40 |
August 31, 2008
Watebury Backcountry Rescue requested assistance in evacuating a woman with an unstable ankle injury on Camel's Hump, near the junction of the Long Trail and the Monroe Trail near the summit. Initially the team was reluctant to leave town on Labor Day weekend with only a small group of team members available for coverage, but it was determined that our resources were very much needed.
SMR members met the evac team on their way down and assisted in setting up several belay stations, and with the litter carry.
| Team Members Responding | Other Agencies Responding | Time of Call | Weather Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Govoni, Speer, Selby |
Watebury Backcountry, Colchester, UVWRT |
15:00-22:15 |
August 10, 2008
Lamoille County Dispatch
contacted the team inquiring if SMR would assist with a dog trapped on a ledge ~ 30' from the top of the Brewster River Gorge and ~ 20' above the river.
The dog (Leaf) was reported missing from the Brewster River Gorge area on 07/31/08 and was spotted on a ledge by 2 hikers. The hikers attempted to access the dog, but due to the technical nature of the terrain they were unsuccessful.
After a discussion with team members the following plan was formulated.
Team member Reinhardt (Game Warden) would rappel to the ledge and assess the status of the dog. The dog was found to be in good condition with no obvious injuries and was very friendly (this was a major concern). If the dog's behavior was in any way aggressive, the plan was send the team's physician down and sedate the dog, this was not required.
Team member Selby was then lowered to the ledge with a dog PFD equipped with large padded straps and a handle designed to lift a dog of this size.
The PFD was backed-up with 1" webbing and both were attached to the main line. Selby & Leaf were then raised with a 3:1 haul system to the top of the Gorge. Leaf was corporative during the extrication and very pleased to be off the ledge after 10 days. Leaf was then walked out to the road and reunited with his owner.
Based on the lack on obvious injuries, we speculate Leaf was swimming in the Brewster River Gorge and was unable to return to his entry point due to the elevated water levels and associated river currents. Leaf exited the river and scrambled up to the ledge where he was trapped.
| Team Members Responding | Other Agencies Responding | Time of Call | Weather Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Anderson, Burdick, Reinhardt, Selby, Veliko |
Cambridge Rescue |
13:30-17:30 | 78's, overcast |
August 5, 2008
Lamoille County Dispatch received a 911 call from a family of 5 on the Long Trail caught by night fall without lighting.
After a detailed discussion with the subjects, it was determined they were on the Long Trail between Taft lodge & route 108, just below the major stream crossing at 2400'.
The party left route 108 at 1700 and traveled up the Hell Brook Trail, due to the lateness of hour, they elected to utilize the Hell Brook Cut Off to Taft Lodge. They reached Taft Lodge at ~ 2000 and then proceed north on the LT, toward route 108.
A SMR hasty team of 3 departed route 108 at ~2140 and a team of 2 was staged at route 108 with Truck 2. The subjects were located by the hasty team at 2200 hours, at 2200' on the Long Trail. The hasty team provided the subjects additional lighting and walked the family out to route 108 without incident.
| Team Members Responding | Other Agencies Responding | Time of Call | Weather Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Couper, Libby, Selby, Spear, Veliko |
Stowe Police |
21:13-23:00 | 70's, clear, calm |
July 16, 2008
A lost 5 year old autistic child was the subject of a large search in Morrisville. Stowe Mountain Rescue was called approximately 2 hours into the search to assist. The subject was found in good condition by search teams.
| Team Members Responding | Other Agencies Responding | Time of Call | Weather Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Govoni, Reinhardt, Selby, Veliko |
Stowe & M'town Police, Vermont SP, LCSD, M'town FD & Rescue, Johnson FD, US Border Patrol |
17:45-20:00 |
June 27, 2008
A response was inititated to a report of a male patient on the "Lower Lip" on the Mt. Mansfield ridge line complaining of difficulty breathing. The subject was reached and assessed by Mt. Mansfield Resort staff who cancelled our response.
| Team Members Responding | Other Agencies Responding | Time of Call | Weather Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Anderson, Burdick, Govoni, Selby, Veliko |
Stowe Rescue & Stowe Mountain Resort |
14:33-15:50 | 80 degrees, Overcast |
June 23-24, 2008
The team responded to a report of an "empty boat" on Lake Mansfield where a subject had earlier been seen fishing. Several clues indicated that the subject may have fallen into the water. Shore searches were done and dive teams from Colchester and Johnson responded. Thunderstorm activity somewhat hampered search efforts before darkness fell. The next morning the Vermont State Police scuba team joined the effort and the subject was located underwater in the early afternoon, an apparent drowning victim. Read story.
| Team Members Responding | Other Agencies Responding | Time of Call | Weather Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Anderson, Couper, Govoni, Libby, Reinhardt, Selby, Speer, Van Dyke, Veliko |
Stowe Police, Vermont State Police, Stowe FD, Colchester Rescue, Johnson FD |
16:00-22:30 07:00-14:30 | Scattered showers and thunderstorms, 70's |
June 21-22, 2008
Vermont State Police requested assistance in looking for two women hikers who were over due from a day hike, and their car was still parked at the trailhead to Belvedere Mountain. Search teams were fielded and the subjects were located in a shelter on the Long Trail. They had taken a wrong term off the summit and headed north instead of south. They were uninjured and able to hike down the mountain with proper directions given.
| Team Members Responding | Other Agencies Responding | Time of Call | Weather Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Burdick, Couper, Govoni, Selby, Speer, Veliko |
Vermont State Police |
23:30-06:00 | Partly cloudy, 60 |
June 16, 2008
Mutual aid request from Waterbury to evacuate subject with cardiac issues on the Hunger Mountain Trail. On arrival and after consultation with medical control the decision was made to assist the subject in walking down the trail, where they were transported by Waterbury Ambulance.
| Team Members Responding | Other Agencies Responding | Time of Call | Weather Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Burdick, Couper, Govoni, Reinhardt, Selby, Speer,Van Dyke, Veliko |
Waterbury Ambulance, Waterbury Backcountry |
13:00-17:00 | Partly cloudy, 75 |
June 15, 2008
911 Dispatch received a cell phone call from a party at Whiteface Shelter with reported internal injuries and possibly broken ribs from a fall. Cellphone coverage was then lost for any further updates. Team member Veliko was hiking in the area and was able to get to the patient while the rest of the team mobilized and initiated their response. He found the party slowly walking down the trail, and they continued walking to a point where we could drive in with 4WD and give them a ride out.
| Team Members Responding | Other Agencies Responding | Time of Call | Weather Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Burdick, Govoni, Reinhardt, Selby, Van Dyke, Veliko |
Cancelled Waterbury & Colchester initally called for mutual aid |
15:00-18:00 | Sunny, 75 |
May 24, 2008
Assist to Stowe Rescue with ATV in accessing a subject in cardiac arrest approximately 1 mile on a woods road.
| Team Members Responding | Other Agencies Responding | Time of Call | Weather Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Burdick, Libby, Reinhardt, Speer,Veliko |
Stowe Rescue, Stowe PD |
11:30-13:00 | Partly cloudy, 59 |
April 18, 2008
The team was again activated by Vermont Emergency Management to assist in the search for a 24 year old kayaker missing on the West River in Jamaica, Vermont. The subject had been kayaking with a friend the day before (4/17) and both had to exit their boats. The first subject made it to shore and notified authorities. The boat of the second kayaker was located soon thereafter about 1000 yards downstream of where he was last seen, but the subject was not found. A water search was initiated on the 18th. The subject was located approximately 7 miles downstream by people not associated with the search.
See article and video from WCAX. Read article from the Times Argus.
| Team Members Responding | Other Agencies Responding | Time of Call | Weather Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Anderson, Selby, Reinhardt, Veliko |
Multiple |
07:00-18:00 | Clear, Sunny , 65 |
April 13, 2008
The team was activated by Vermont Emergency Management to assist in the search for a 2 1/2 year old drowning victim in Wardsboro, Vermont. The subject was located approximately 3/4 mile downstream from where it was thought the child entered the water. Two other family members who drowned were found the previous day. Read article in Burlington Free Press.
| Team Members Responding | Other Agencies Responding | Time of Call | Weather Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Couper, Libby, Veliko |
Multiple |
06:00-19:00 | Overcast, 45 |
April 6, 2008
Colchester Rescue requested Stowe to respond to Underhill to a report of a snowshoer with an ankle injury on the trail to Taylor Lodge (from the Underhill side of the ridge). Our response was cancelled before leaving the station.
| Team Members Responding | Other Agencies Responding | Time of Call | Weather Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Couper, Veliko |
Colchester Rescue, Essex Rescue, Underhill/Jericho FD |
17:15-17:45 |
March 28, 2008
The team was dispatched to a snowmobile accident in Morrisville, but their response was cancelled before responding, as Johnson Fire Dept. snowmachine was able to get there more quickly.
| Team Members Responding | Other Agencies Responding | Time of Call | Weather Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Govoni (MRS), Selby, Reinhardt |
Morristown Rescue, Morrisville FD, Johnson FD |
13:15-13:30 |
March 18, 2008
Trapp Family Lodge called to report that they had received a phone call from a woman skiing alone from Bolton Valley to Trapps on the backcountry ski trail, and she felt she was lost. N. Van Dyke spoke to her by phone and determined that she was not on the backcountry trail, and was still relatively close to Bolton Valley. He phoned the BV Ski Patrol and gave them her location and phone number and asked them to send a snowmachine to pick her up.
| Team Members Responding | Other Agencies Responding | Time of Call | Weather Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Van Dyke (phone) |
Bolton Valley Ski Patrol |
14:15-14:30 |
March 1, 2008
Bolton Valley Ski Patrol again requested our assistance, this time looking for an overdue backcountry skier, last seen in the area of the Cottonbrook Trail. We deployed teams to Bolton Valley, to the bottom of the Cottonbrook Trail, and requested a local snowmobile outfitter to sweep the VAST trails in the Cottonbrook area. The outfitter located the subject skiing toward Waterbury reservoir and transported him back to Stowe where he was debriefed and waited for a ride back to Bolton.
| Team Members Responding | Other Agencies Responding | Time of Call | Weather Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Couper, Govoni, Reinhardt, Selby, Veliko |
Bolton Valley Ski Patrol |
Snowing, 25 |
February 24, 2008
The team was put on standby for a plane crash at the Morrisville Airport. No injuries were reported and no response was necessary.
| Team Members Responding | Other Agencies Responding | Time of Call | Weather Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Anderson, Govoni, Selby, Van Dyke, Veliko |
Morrisville FD |
16:35-17:00 |
February 23, 2008
Morristown Rescue requested the team's assistance at a snowmbobile accident in Morrisville. Our response was cancelled before arriving on scene.
| Team Members Responding | Other Agencies Responding | Time of Call | Weather Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Anderson, Couper, Govoni, Reinhardt, Stewart, Van Dyke, Veliko |
Morristown Rescue Morrisville FD, Johnson FD |
13:15-13:45 | Clear, 25 |
February 18-19, 2008
Stowe Police notified the team of a report of two cross country skiers in their 70's who did not return to the rental house where they were staying. Their vehicle was located at the Sterling Gorge parking lot. The team inititated a search with several hasty teams covering a number of XC ski trails and the VAST snowmobile trail. Alert members of one of the snowmobile search teams observed fresh ski tracks leaving the VAST trail and heading into the woods. Verbal contact was then established with the missing party. Ground teams were able to quickly locate the subjects and assist them out of the woods.
| Team Members Responding | Other Agencies Responding | Time of Call | Weather Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Anderson, Couper, Govoni, Libby, Reinhardt, Speer, Stewart, Selby, Van Dyke, Veliko |
Stowe Police Vermont State Police |
21:15-01:30 | Overcast, 30, flurries |
February 13, 2008
Bolton Valley Ski Patrol called to request assistance looking for two snowboarders who had reportedly gone down the back side of Bolton ski area toward the Waterbury reservoir. Before deploying the subjects called back and reported that they could hear a grooming machine at the ski area. They were eventually able to follow the noise back to the ski area and our response was cancelled.
| Team Members Responding | Other Agencies Responding | Time of Call | Weather Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Couper, Selby, Van Dyke, Veliko |
Bolton Valley Ski Patrol | 17:00-18:00 | Overcast, 20 |
February 12, 2008
Stowe PD requested assistance in accessing two lost and reportedly "down" dogs next to the Little River north of Stowe Village. Our ATV with tracks was used to get close to them, but they took off running when approached. The owner was then located and given a ride into the area. She was able to call the dogs in.
| Team Members Responding | Other Agencies Responding | Time of Call | Weather Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Stewart, Van Dyke |
Stowe Police | 8:00-11:00 |
January 31, 2008
The team responded to a report of a "snowmobile into a tree" on a snowmobile trail off of the Sterling Gorge Road, approximately 1 mile from the road. The subject was treated for head and leg injuries and evacuated by our snowmachine and rescueboggan to the ambulance.
| Team Members Responding | Other Agencies Responding | Time of Call | Weather Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
Anderson, Burdick, Couper, Libby, Selby, Van Dyke |
Stowe Rescue | 21:00-23:30 | Clear , 15 |
January 18, 2008
Lamoille County dispatch received a 911 cell phone call from two snowboarders who reported being lost on "John's Road" backcountry ski trail. They were unable to continue and concerned about approaching darkness. Van Dyke contacted them by cell phone and directed them to retrace their route back to the Bruce Trail. They ditched their snowboards and walked out the Bruce Trail and were picked up by Van Dyke & Reinhardt by snowmachine. The subjects were given a complimentary copy of our "Backcountry Skiing & Riding Safety" dvd to assist in future trip planning.
| Team Members Responding | Other Agencies Responding | Time of Call | Weather Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van Dyke, Reinhardt | Stowe Ski Patrol (phone) | 15:10-16:00 | Clear , 30 |
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