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Tag: Hiking

  • Ann Curry Rescued by Boy Scouts After Hiking Injury

    Ann Curry, former co-anchor of The TODAY Show and news reporter for NBC was injured while hiking a few weeks ago and was rescued by a troop of Boy Scouts. Curry was out on a hike in New York’s Harriman State Park in April when she fell and broke her ankle.

    Scouts from Troop and Crew 368 from Berkeley Heights, New Jersey just happened to be out on a training hike in the state park when they came upon Curry with her leg extended, sitting on the side of a trail. She told them she feared the ankle was broken.

    “They splinted it up perfectly,” said Scoutmaster Rick Jurgens said in a blog post for Scouting Magazine. In order to transport Curry down to the base of the park the Scouts used sticks and a tarp for a makeshift stretcher and carried her to her car where her husband and son were waiting.

    “We were hiking along, and we came to a trail intersection,” Jurgens said, “and a lady was sitting on the ground with her one leg out. We didn’t think anything of it, but one of the guys asked if everything is OK. She said, ‘No, not really. I think I broke my ankle.’ She told us to keep going, but the guys refused.”

    Jurgens, who is also a professional firefighter and EMT, said the boys needed no prompting whatsoever from him. They sprang into action and did everything they had previously been trained to do if ever encountering a situation like this one.

    “We work on these requirements, and here’s an opportunity where it was a true test of all those First Class, Second Class first-aid requirements,” he said. “They got to use it and use it for real. And they did an outstanding job.”

    Ann Curry sent the Boy Scouts from Troop and Crew 368 each a personal thank you letter following the ordeal. She praised their emergency readiness, saying they went “above the call of duty.”

    “Discovering I was unable to walk, and needed to get down the mountain for medical care, you immediately set about to help,” she wrote.

    “I feel enormously lucky you came along at just the right moment, and were so willing to help a stranger in need,” she added. “You are a credit to the Boy Scouts and to your families, and I want you to know I am deeply grateful for your kindness and skill.”

    Ann Curry’s husband also praised the Boy Scouts. He and their son had gone back down the trail to retrieve their vehicle in order to transport her to the hospital.

    “He told us, ‘You guys are the best,’” Jurgens said. “‘I don’t know what I would do without you guys.’”

    Kudos to the Boy Scouts and their leader for their readiness on the trail when Ann Curry broke her ankle. Not only did they gain the experience of assisting during a real life medical situation, but they also earned the appreciation and respect of one of the finest journalists around.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Yosemite Climber Falls 30 Feet from Rock Face

    Yosemite Climber Falls 30 Feet from Rock Face

    A 26-year-old male rock climber fell roughly 30 feet from a granite rock face at Yosemite National Park’s Cathedral range Sunday, and was airlifted out after sustaining severe injuries. The unidentified hiker from Palo Alto, California had been trekking with three others, before falling onto a rock bench approximately 1,000 feet up.

    Officer Andrea Brown, of the California Highway Patrol’s Air Operations Division, commented that the injured climber “was wide awake, he gave me a thumbs up and he was OK,” though was in too much pain to move. “He landed on a ledge, and was laying prone on the rocks,” Brown added. The climber is presently in stable condition at a Modesto hospital, after being transported from the Higher Cathedral Spire.

    Brown said that the rescue operation was a bit tricky, due to inclement weather. “It would have been OK if the winds were calm, but the winds were a little silly,” she said, adding that in terms of difficulty, she would rate the operation a “7 or 8 out of 10.” Brown also praised the CHP rescuers, stating that they are “world-class rock climbers, but not only can they climb, they can start IVs and give medical aid while suspended on ropes. They’re pretty studly.”

    Here is some footage of the Higher Cathedral Spire at Yosemite:

    Yosemite spokeswoman Kari Cobb called the park a “mecca for climbing,” and pointed out that the Higher Cathedral Spire is a popular destination. “It’s a very well-known climb,” Cobb said. “It’s something that is typically done on weekends on a regular basis. These guys were not on something that is rarely climbed.”

    The Higher Cathedral Spire is rated at a 5.4 on the Yosemite Decimal System (YDS), which is a three-part system used for grading the difficulty of walks, hikes and climbs. Cobb said that Yosemite typically sees one or two fatalities a year due to climbing accidents.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Father, Sons Survive Three Days Stranded in Utah Canyon

    A father and his two sons were rescued Saturday after becoming lost and stuck for three days in Utah’s Sandthrax Canyon.

    Jason Knight, 35, told Today Monday that he and his sons left on Wednesday April 9, and were to return home on that Friday. But when the three didn’t show up, Knight’s wife became frantic and contacted Wayne County Sheriff’s Office.

    Knight says that he wanted to spend the day in Leprechaun Canyon with his 8-year-old and 11-year-old sons, but accidentally ended in the wrong canyon.

    What was originally intended to be a three-hour hike, turned into a fight for survival for three full days.

    The father says that after entering into the canyon, he realized that they didn’t have the correct ropes to make an exit.

    Knight decided to leave the canyon to grab more equipment and instructed his children to stay on an opened ledge above the canyon while he went to find a way out. He instead became stuck 350 feet below in a split between two walls, which was 150 yards away from his sons’ location.

    His sons unfortunately could not hear his calls when he yelled for help. 

    However, Knight stayed optimistic to the notion that a rescue squad would come searching for them.

    “I knew if my boys stayed on top they would find them because they were in an open spot, and I knew if they found them they would eventually find me,” he said.

    The sons say they survived off a shared granola bar and bottle of water, which was gone by Wednesday.

    By late Saturday afternoon, a helicopter arrived to retrieve the two boys. The crew then found Knight 30 minutes later, but he wasn’t rescued out of the bottom of the canyon until after 4 p.m.

    “The helicopter was definitely a good sound,” Knight said.

    The trio, which suffered from dehydration and a few bruises, were said to be in overall good condition.

    Knight was later quoted: “We were in a very bad situation, and without preparedness and the rescue people we wouldn’t have made it out. Anything could have happened.”

    Images via YouTube 

  • Missing Nevada Family Found Alive

    Two adults and four children were found alive on Tuesday nestled together inside Trinity Canyon located in the Seven Troughs Range. Thirty-four-year-old James Glanton, 25-year-old Christina MacIntee, the couple’s children (a 3-year-old and a 4-year-old), 10-year-old niece Shelby Fitzpatrick, and a 4-year-old nephew had been missing since Sunday night when the group left to enjoy sledding and playing in the snow. Amanda Fitzpatrick, who is Shelby’s mother, spoke with Piers Morgan of CNN about the ordeal. “It’s been extremely hard, probably the hardest 24 to 36 hours of my life. It’s my baby girl.”

    Sheriff Richard Machado spoke about the harsh weather conditions. “The temperatures out here are very cold, and we’d like to bring a successful end to this. We’d like to find them, just as soon as we can,” Machado said prior to the recovery.

    Planes, vehicles, and helicopters were all used during the search efforts; however, a volunteer with a pair of binoculars actually spotted the family. The rescuer used the binoculars to scan the mountainside when the image of the family huddled together came into view. According to Pershing General Hospital CEO Patty Bianchi, the family has “no frostbite, just some exposure issues.”

    Finding the family was the result of the collaborative search efforts from volunteers as well as service personnel. More than 200 people were involved in the search efforts that covered nearly 6,000 square miles. Nevada Wing Commander Colonel Tim Hahn released the following statement, “The cell phone forensics team pinpointed where they could not possibly be. This morning they provided a key clue that redirected the search and led to the rescue.”

    The couple’s jeep rolled off the road and was stuck in an area 15 miles away from Lovelock. However, Glanton and MacIntee managed to keep the children warm during the days stranded in the cold. Bianchi said that the couple “did a fabulous job keeping them [the children] warm.”

    Pershing County Undersheriff Thomas Bjerke spoke about the miraculous event that saved a family just before Christmas. “They are in pretty good shape,” Bjerke said.

    [Image Via NDN]

  • Utah Booby Traps Send Two Men to Jail

    Utah booby traps kind of sounds like the name of a really unpopular small town indie rock band, though it’s actually something a bit more sinister.

    The next time you decide to take a leisurely stroll with your family and friends through the Utah wilderness, you might want to keep a sharp eye out for booby traps. That’s right — booby traps, devices that were seemingly constructed while watching “The Goonies” and various Road Runner cartoons back-to-back for days on end.

    All kidding aside, the discovery of the traps is actually pretty serious business. They were spotted by U.S. Forest Service Officer James Schoeffler, a man whose job is keep a close eye out for peculiar situations such as this. Schoeffler spent 12 years dismantling bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan for the military, so he’s prepared to handle these sort of problems. However, I’m sure he never dreamed of encountering anything this bizarre while patrolling the Utah wilderness.

    Upon receiving an anonymous tip, Schoeffler took a trip to a popular canyon trailer in Provo, an area that’s frequented by law-abiding citizens and troublemakers alike. After scouting around for a bit, the seasoned officer discovered a series of potentially deadly traps outside of a well-known, heavily-trafficked makeshift fort.

    The traps, which were constructed using high-quality, heavy duty materials, included a spiked boulder attached to a trip wire and a pit full of extremely sharp spikes. You know, typical low-budget late-night movie kind of stuff. This discovery was particularly distressing to authorities since anyone could have fallen prey to the traps, particularly individuals visiting the area at night.

    “When you look at those things, you just get chills down your spine,” the Utah County sheriff’s sergeant explained to the Los Angeles Times.

    The investigation soon led authorities to a pair of would-be hunters, who claim that the traps were meant for wildlife, including “wild boards and bunnies”. Problem is, Utah isn’t known for its wild boars. Since the Acme-flavored booby traps were discovered before anyone was harmed, the men can only be charged with reckless endangerment, which is only a misdemeanor.