2010 Incident Response Log

July 17, 2010

A 24 year old female through-hiker on the Long Trail called 911 to report that she has sustained an ankle injury and was unable to support her weight. She gave her location as about 45 minutes north of Puffer Lodge heading north toward Taylor Lodge. This location is approximately 4 miles from the nearest trailhead and involves some very steep and rugged terrain, including ledges, large boulders and ladders. Additional assistance was request to assist in the evacuation. The subject was reached by a hasty team at 13:20 and evaluated, and found to have an isolated right ankle injury with significant swelling and point tenderness. The litter arrived at the patient approximately an hour later and the patient was splinted, packaged and started on the long carry out to the trailhead which was reached at approximately 17:30. The subject was transported to Copley Hospital by Stowe Rescue.

Splinting the patient.	Moving down the trail..

 

Team Members Responding	Other Agencies Responding	Time of Call	Weather Conditions
Burdick, Couper, Govoni, Reinhardt, Veliko, Van Dyke	Colchester Tech, Waterbury Backcountry, Stowe Rescue	10:15-18:30	80 degrees & clear

July 11, 2010

Received a request for assistance from Waterbury Backcountry in locating a family with 3 young children who had left the Little River State Campground to go for a short hike and had gotten lost. They had a cell phone and could describe a snowmobile trail intersection sign. The easiest access was up the Cottonbrook Road from Stowe. Team member Veliko was able to drive right to the subjects and they were given a ride back to the campground.

Team Members Responding	Other Agencies Responding	Time of Call	Weather Conditions
Reinhardt (opened gate) Veliko, Van Dyke (phone)	Waterbury Backcountry	18:15-19:30

June 25, 2010

Dispatched to assist Stowe Rescue Squad for injured subject on hiking trail with positive deformity left ankle. SRS requested stokes litter for subject ~200 yards into Golden Eagle hiking trail. Subject stabilized and stokes carry out performed with transfer to ambulance (SRS).

Team Members Responding	Other Agencies Responding	Time of Call	Weather Conditions
Burdick, Couper, Govoni, Reinhardt, Speer	Stowe Rescue	20:30-21:30

June 8, 2010

911 dispatcher received a call from two frantic hikers on the Long Trail who said they were just north of the summit of Mt. Mansfield on an exposed ledge and did not feel that they could continue up or down. They reported that one person in their party was having a "panic attack." Initial attemps to contact the party by cell phone were unsuccessful. This particular short section of trail has some exposure and occasionally less experienced hikers have some discomfort making the final "move" to attain the summit ridge. Team member Speer was closest to the mountain and hiked to the party and assisted them up to the ridge and hiked them back to Truck 1 at the top of the toll road for transport back to their vehicle.

Team Members Responding	Other Agencies Responding	Time of Call	Weather Conditions
Couper, Libby, Speer, (Veliko & Govoni turned back), Van Dyke (phone)	None	12:20-15:30	Scattered showers, 70

April 27-28, 2010

Vermont State Police contacted SMR w/a report of a 20 year old male subject on the Long Trail just north of Puffer Lodge with a knee injury. He had been out for a 2-3 day backpacking trip and had reasonable amount of clothing, food and a sleeping bag (no shelter or sleeping pad). A very unusual, late season storm was developing with a forecast for 12-24" of snow, winds 25-35 MPH and temperatures in the 20s. After reporting his injury the subject left the trail and became lost in a drainage. Search teams were unable to locate him and the search was suspended at 22:00 on 4/27. The search continued at first light on 4/28, and the subject was located at around noon in an abandonded hunting camp in the Lee River drainage on the west side of the ridge. He was able to walk out with assistance.

Team Members Responding	Other Agencies Responding	Time of Call	Weather Conditions
Couper, Govoni, Eykelhof, Speer, Stewart, Veliko	Vermont State Police, Vermont Fish & Wildlife, NEK9 SAR	13:00-22:30 04:30-13:00	20's-40's +/-20" fresh snow

 

April 24, 2010

Dispatched to the Stowe Pinnacle Trail at the "vista" below the summit to assist a 74 year old male subject experiencing tingling and loss of sensation in his leg. Subject was evaluated and sensation returned to his leg and vitals were all stable. He was assisted to the trailhead and was not transported by Stowe Rescue.

Team Members Responding	Other Agencies Responding	Time of Call	Weather Conditions
Couper, Reinhardt, Speer	Stowe Rescue, Waterbury Backcountry , Stowe FD	14:00-17:30

 

February 27, 2010

While the incident below was in progress, the team was notified of yet another lost party - this one a snowshoer near the Stowehof Inn (Weissner Woods). Van Dyke responded to the scene and was able to talk him out of the woods just before it got dark.

Team Members Responding	Other Agencies Responding	Time of Call	Weather Conditions
Van Dyke	None	17:45-18:15	30, Overcast

 

February 27, 2010

As the team was clearing from the incident below, Mt. Mansfield Ski Patrol reported two skiers/riders who were having trouble getting out of the woods in the area below the Toll Road (same general location January 3 & 4 incidents). They were able to describe their location well enough that team members Speer & Govoni were able to snowmobile up the Bruce Trail to an access point and then snowshoe to the subjects. A 3rd lost subject had by that point joined up with the initial party of two. They were all shown the way out to the Bruce Trail and transported by snowmobile back to the Mansfield Touring Center.

Team Members Responding	Other Agencies Responding	Time of Call	Weather Conditions
Couper, Govoni, Speer, Van Dyke	None	16:45-18:30	30, Overcast

 

February 27, 2010

Mt. Mansfield Ski Patrol received a report of an out of bounds skier with a significant leg injury. Given the steep and potentially technical location of the report they called Stowe Mountain Rescue for assistance. A hasty team of ski patrollers reached the patient and confirmed that assistance would be required to evacuate the subject. Team members (and visiting New York Forest Ranger/MRA member Jim Giglinto) rode the Sensation quad lift to the top of Big Spruce and snowshoed in to the patient's location between Big Spruce Peak and Smuggler's Notch. The patient was packaged in a litter and lowered over 1000' to Smuggler's Notch Road (see photos). From there the subject was transported by snowmobile to Stowe Rescue for transport by ambulance.

Packaging the patient.	Setting up a belay station.	One of many lowers.

 

Team Members Responding	Other Agencies Responding	Time of Call	Weather Conditions
Anderson, Couper, Govoni, Speer,Van Dyke, Veliko	Mt. Mansfield Ski Patrol	12:45-17:00	35, Overcast

 

February 20-21, 2010

Two different groups each comprised of 4 skiers/snowboarders called to report that they were lost at around the same time. One of the groups, 4 youths from a school in the Boston area, was able to continue travelling downhill until they ran out of daylight. They were located by search teams on the west side of Mt. Mansfield in Underhill - all in good condition, at about 9pm. The second group was unable to make progress and ended up spending an uncomfortable night in the woods at about 3100' on the west side of the mountain. Both parties had gotten confused in poor visibility conditions after hiking to the summit ridge and gone down the wrong side of the mountain away from the ski area. After evaluating the condition of the second party, weather conditions, and the probability of finding them at night it was decided to put the search off until the following morning. The team resumed the search at 4am with a snowcat ride to the top of the ski area, where they proceeded to search on snowshoes, locating the party at 9:15am. They warmed the group up and guided them down the mountain to waiting Vermont Game Wardens with snowmobiles who gave them a ride out the final mile or so down an unplowed road. The subjects were evaluated by Essex Rescue and released without transport.

Watch news clip.

Read article.

Team Members Responding	Other Agencies Responding	Time of Call	Weather Conditions
Burdick, Couper, Eykelhoff, Govoni, Reinhardt, Van Dyke, Veliko	Underhill Jericho FD, Colchester Tech Rescue, Essex Rescue, VT Fish & Wildlife, Vt. State Police	15:30-22:00 04:00-14:00	25, cloudy

 

January 23, 2010

Received a report of a female snowshoer with a potential broken leg on the Sterling Pond hiking trail. Couper and Govoni were ice climbing in the area and responded along with Cambridge. Smuggler's ski patrol was able to quickly access the patient with a toboggan. Team members assisted by setting up one belay to get the patient down to the notch road, where she was transported by Cambridge to their ambulance for transport.

Team Members Responding	Other Agencies Responding	Time of Call	Weather Conditions
Couper, Eykelhoff, Govoni, Van Dyke	Cambridge Fire & Rescue, Smugglers Notch Ski Patrol	13:45-15:00	30, sunny

 

January 21, 2010

Dispatch received a 911 call from a cross country skier who had fallen and injured their leg on one of the nordic trails at Trapp Family Lodge. Called back Trapps and they handled the evacuation to Stowe Rescue as they were unaware of the incident.

Team Members Responding	Other Agencies Responding	Time of Call	Weather Conditions
Van Dyke	Stowe Rescue	14:00-14:15	25, sunny

 

January 17, 2010

A 2nd snowmobile accident was reported where a subject had run into a tree approximately 4 miles from the trail head and had a suspected back injury. The team responded with snowmobiles and the rescue toboggan and transported the subject to the road where they were transported by Stowe Rescue.

Team Members Responding	Other Agencies Responding	Time of Call	Weather Conditions
Anderson, Eykelhoff, Reinhardt	Stowe Rescue	15:15-17:00	35, partly cloudy

 

January 17, 2010

The team responded to a report of a snowmobile accident in the Cottonbrook area. Response was cancelled when the snowmobile tour operator was able to transport the subject out to the road.

Team Members Responding	Other Agencies Responding	Time of Call	Weather Conditions
N/A	Stowe Rescue	14:15-14:30	35, partly cloudy

January 13-14, 2010

Received a report through Vermont State Police of a 911 call from a 26 year old male subject who had snowshoed up the Sunset Ridge Trail from Underhill and reached the summit of Mt. Mansfield at 14:00. He got turned around in whiteout conditions and could not find the trail back down. He started down west side of Mt. Mansfield in area of West Chin until getting caught up in deep snow, thick scrub & spruce traps. He called for assistance at 15:00. SMR was notified at 16:30. We advised him to make every effort to get back to/above treeline where he would be easier for us to locate given the conditions. We maintained cellphone contact with the subject and he was able to continue moving slowly uphill. Search teams encountered 50 mph winds and zero visibility above treeline. The first hasty team started down Sunset Ridge Trail and were able to make verbal contact. Subject was stuck below a ledge in area of the West Chin. He was walked back to the Cliff House and transported down the mountain by snow cat. Upon evaluation he was found to have frostbite to most of his fingers and was taken by private vehicle to Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington. Read news report.

Read Vermont State Police press release.

Team Members Responding	Other Agencies Responding	Time of Call	Weather Conditions
Burdick, Couper, Eykelhoff, Speer, Van Dyke Veliko	Vermont State Police	16:30-00:30	0 degrees, 40-50mpg winds, 0 visibility

 

January 12, 2010

A skier at Stowe Mountain Resort skied off of the Rimrock Trail near jct. of Perry Merrill and got caught in drainage near Hazelton Trail ("No Man's Land") on last run of the day. His companion was able to extricate themselves from the area and go for assistance. The subject was very wet and cold and could not continue moving. Search teams from our team followed up the drainage from the bottom, located the subject, gave him snowshoes and walked him out. Checked out by Stowe Rescue and released.

Team Members Responding	Other Agencies Responding	Time of Call	Weather Conditions
Couper, Eykelhoff, Speer, Van Dyke, Veliko	Stowe Mountain Resortt	17:30-21:00

 

January 4, 2010

Three brothers called on their cell phone to report that they were lost in the same area described in the incident below. They described themselves as being "stuck" in a drainage unable to continue downhill. Speer was already on scene at the Touring Center and was dispatched to hike up the drainage between the Bruce Trail & John's Road (which is typically where skiers in this area end up). After approximately 30 minutes of hiking he made verbal contact and then guided the subjects out to Bear Run where they were transported by snowmachine back to the Touring Center.  All were found to be in good condition.

Team Members Responding	Other Agencies Responding	Time of Call	Weather Conditions
Anderson, Govoni, Reinhardt, Speer, Van Dyke Veliko	Mt Mansfield Ski Patrol Vermont Fish & Wildlife	16:15-19:30	Overcast

January 3, 2010

Two male subjects left the Stowe Mountain Resort ski area boundary at ~ 1430. They started from top of the Forerunner Quad, skiing down the Toll Road, they left the ski trail between 3000 & 2500' of elevation at a "small clearing", heading south into Ranch Valley. They called 911 at ~ 1630 requesting assistance reporting they were in "deep snow" and "not on a trail".  They were instructed to continue down hill and to look for a cross-country ski trail that they would ultimately cross. Spear was first on scene at Mansfield Touring Center and was instructed to sweep the Bear Run trail w/the Touring Centers snow machine. 3 Ski Patrol (MMSP) personnel w/2 snow machines were also on scene and were instructed to sweep several other trails. At ~ 1725 IC Veliko was advised by MMSP that a second party of 1 had also called into Stowe Mt Resort dispatch at ~ 1700, also requesting assistance and appeared to be in the same area as the initial party. The initial party of 2 was contacted by IC and they reported had reached an "unmarked trail" and were continuing down hill, they next reported they had reached "Bear Run" and were continuing down hill. Two team members were sent in to assist w/transporting these subjects back to the staging area at Mansfield Touring Center. The 2 subjects were examined by Stowe Rescue and found to be in good condition at ~ 1830. The remaining subject did have a whistle and was instructed to give 1 long whistle blow about every 5 minutes. Couper/Govoni heard a whistle blow and responded w/additional whistle blows, the subject was located at ~ 1900 and returned to the staging area at Mansfield Touring Center at 1930 where he was found to be in good condition.

Team Members Responding	Other Agencies Responding	Time of Call	Weather Conditions
Burdick, Couper, Eykelhoff, Govoni, Reinhardt, Speer, Veliko	Mt Mansfield Ski Patrol Stowe Rescue	16:15-19:30	Overcast

 

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