Lost hiker on Sterling

A woman was hiking down the Long Trail from Sterling Pond to Route 108 on the Old Elephant’s Head trail and experienced difficulty while descending a steep section of trail at a wooden ladder / stair section. The woman called 911 and was instructed to descend the ladder by facing them (minimizing the “exposure”). She successfully negotiated the obstacle, but then lost the trail and was unable to re-locate it.

Her 911 call provided good coordinates and a Stowe Mountain Rescue team member was dispatched to assist the hiker. She was about 50 feet off the Long Trail between the two “Tusk” crossings. Members of Vermont State Police and Department of Public Safety also responded to assist. She was located and escorted back to her car without incident.

Team Members Responding
Speer, Van Dyke

Other Agencies Responding
Department of Public Safety, Vermont State Police

Time of Call
17:15 – 19:30

Weather Conditions
Cold

Injured knee on Mt. Hunger

Waterbury Backcountry Rescue requested assistance with a woman hiking on the summit of Mount Hunger who suffered a knee injury and was unable to bear weight.

She was located on the Mt Hunger Trail just below the summit. She was hiking down the trail and hyper extended her knee. When she attempted to bear weight on the injury her knee was extremely unstable and was unable to walk.

Her knee was immobilized and she was packaged in a litter for the evacuation. The team had to lower the litter down several pitches of difficult, steep, ledges using rope systems, a technique not typically employed on hiking trails. For the rest of the carry, the team was able to use a wheel. The women was evacuated before dark.

Team Members Responding
Govoni, Miller, Rogers, Speer, Veliko, Van Dyke

Other Agencies Responding
Waterbury Backcountry Rescue, Colchester Technical Rescue, Mad River Backcountry Rescue

Time of Call
12:30 – 18:45

Weather Conditions
Warm and sunny

Hiker caught in the dark

A hiker was overcome by darkness while descending the Long Trail North into Smuggler’s Notch, otherwise known as the Old Elephant’s Head Trail.  He did not have a headlamp and attempted to use his cell phone flash light to navigate the trail. He lost track of the trail while crossing the upper Tusk drainage.  He found the trail again but was unable to locate the path downhill. He stopped travel and called 911 for assistance.

Rescue talked to him via cell phone to determine his location.  They verified the location through the 911 call.  Stowe Mountain Rescue met the man man on the trail and provided a headlamp.  They hiked him down to his vehicle at the trailhead.

Team Members Responding
Veliko, Van Dyke

Other Agencies Responding
Vermont State Police

Time of Call
20:15 – 22:15

Weather Conditions
Clear and warm

Broken leg at Bingham Falls

A man slipped while negotiating the rocks surrounding Bingham Falls. He fell into the water and landed on the submerged rocks, suffering a compound fracture to his right leg.  He was stabilized and was placed in the litter and hauled to the trail using a low angle rope system.  He was then evacuated to the waiting ambulance.

Team Members Responding
Govoni, Miller, Reinhardt, Ruschp, Speer, Westervelt

Other Agencies Responding
Stowe Police Department, Stowe Rescue, Stowe Mountain Resort

Time of Call
15:30 – 17:00

Weather Conditions
Clear and warm

Broken leg on Camel’s Hump

Stowe Mountain Rescue was called to assist Waterbury Backcountry Rescue with a litter carry down Monroe Trail on Camel’s Hump. A woman was hiking with her daughter when she tripped and stumbled less than a mile from the trailhead, likely fracturing her tibia. Stowe Mountain Rescue met Waterbury Backcountry Rescue on the Monroe below third bridge and assisted with the litter carry.

Team Members Responding
Govoni, Rogers, Westervelt

Other Agencies Responding
Waterbury Backcountry Rescue, Waterbury Rescue

Time of Call
19:00 – 21:45

Weather Conditions
Clear and warm

Chest pains on Bolton

Richmond Rescue & Bolton Fire Department requested assistance with a woman experiencing chest pain on the ridge above Bolton Valley Resort. She had been participating in an organized endurance event, became extremely fatigued and complained of chest pressure and pain. She attempted to continue, but exercise increased her pain.

The woman was evacuated by litter and wheel to the summit of Bolton Valley Resort’s Vista Quad, then transferred to an ATV which transported her to the resort’s base area.  She was delivered to Richmond Rescue.  The rescue was complicated by thunder storms in the area.

Team Members Responding
Miller, Speer, Veliko, Westervelt

Other Agencies Responding
Richmond Rescue, Bolton Fire Department

Time of Call
17:30 – 21:30

Weather Conditions
Thunderstorms

Assist injured swimmer in Jeffersonville

Richmond Rescue & Bolton Fire Department requested assistance with a woman experiencing chest pain on the ridge above Bolton Valley Resort. She had been participating in an organized endurance event, became extremely fatigued and complained of chest pressure and pain. She attempted to continue, but exercise increased her pain.

The woman was evacuated by litter and wheel to the summit of Bolton Valley Resort’s Vista Quad, then transferred to an ATV which transported her to the resort’s base area.  She was delivered to Richmond Rescue.  The rescue was complicated by thunder storms in the area.

Team Members Responding
Govoni, Miller, Speer

Other Agencies Responding
Cambridge Fire Department, Jericho Fire Department

Time of Call
14:00 – 16:30

Weather Conditions
Clear

Assist in swift water rescue in Barre City

VT Emergency Management requested swift water rescue assets to assist Barre City FD with the evacuation of subjects stranded by flood waters.

Upon arrival at the staging area, Stowe Mtn Rescue (SMR) was immediately dispatched to evaluate a flooded area of North Main Street. A group of 4 were found stranded in their vehicle by rising flood waters. They were evacuated without incident and taken to a emergency shelter for the night. Several their other stranded vehicles were searched, but no additional vehicles were occupied.

A second cell of thunderstorms was forecast to drop an additional 1-2″ of rain. SMR was requested to move to the Barre Town FD for staging until this cell passed. The cell luckily produced less rain and we were released from Barre at 2:30 AM.

Team Members Responding
Rogers, Ruschp, Speer, Veliko

Other Agencies Responding
Berlin Fire Dept, Colchester Technical Rescue

Time of Call
21:45 – 03:30

Weather Conditions
Rain

Recovery at Huntington Gorge (con’t)

The recovery resumed Monday AM.

Two rescue swimmers and shore based safety personnel were deployed down stream. A high angle team lowered a rescuer into the mouth of the chute and suspended them at water level. Efforts were made to secure the subject, but the speed of the water and depth of the subject made gaining access to her unsafe. Efforts were then focused on dislodging some of the debris with the hopes she would be dislodged and flushed thru the chute. Manual efforts with a Pike Pole and body weight bouncing on the jammed debris created movement, but little displacement of material. A 5:1 haul system was then applied to the main tree in the mouth of the shoot, this yielded no visible movement.

Arrangements were being made for heavy equipment to winch some of the debris from the chute. As a second rescuer was being deployed by the high angle team, the first rescuer was able to dislodge the subject, by bouncing on the trapped debris. The subject was immediately recovered by the pre-deployed rescue swimmers and returned to shore.

Team Members Responding
Couper, Libby, Rienhardt, Ruschp, Speer, Veliko

Other Agencies Responding
Richmond Polics Dept, Richmond Fire Dept, Vermont State Police,  Colchester Technical Rescue

Time of Call
06:00 – 12:30

Weather Conditions
n/a

Injured swimmer at Bingham Falls

A group of 3 were swimming in Huntington Gorge, were overtaken by the current and forced down a narrow chute. Two of the three flush out of the chute, but the third became trapped in debris.

One of the swimmers unsuccessfully attempted to rescue the trapped woman and survived a second pass thru the chute. He was treated on scene and transported to UVM Medical Center. A firefighter also sustained a lower leg injury during the rescue attempt.

The subject was trapped in a 4-6′ wide chute, approximately 25′ in length, one side of the chute was formed by a larger boulder ~20′ in height and the other wall is ~30′ in height. The mouth of the chute contains debris, predominately trees/tree limbs She was submerged in very turbulent white water just below the mouth of the chute.

Two swimmers and several high angle spotters were deployed Sunday PM, but recovery efforts were suspended due to the difficult, hazardous conditions and darkness.

Team Members Responding
Couper, Govoni, Miller, Speer, Veliko

Other Agencies Responding
Richmond Polics Dept, Richmond Fire Dept, Vermont State Police,  Colchester Technical Rescue

Time of Call
19:15 – 20:15

Weather Conditions
n/a

Injured swimmer at Bingham Falls

A man was swimming at Bingham Falls and fell approximately 30 feet into a pool of water, striking his head during the fall. He was reported to be unresponsive and submerged in the pool for one minute. He was pulled from the water by bystanders and moved to a rock outcrop where he became responsive and starting spontaneous breathing.

Stowe Polie Department & Stowe Rescue Service were on-scene prior to Stowe Mountain Rescue and started patient care. The man was conscious and alert, but had significant head trauma with blood and fluid coming from his ears. He would repeat “loop” statements.

A medical evacuation helicopter was requested from DHART, but the weather in southern New Hampshire prevented any flights. The man was given medical care next to the water. He was brought out of the gorge using a rope raise system. He was delivered to a Stowe Rescue Service ambulance who transported him to UVM Medical Center.

Team Members Responding
Govoni, Reinhardt, Ruschp, Speer, Veliko, Westervelt

Other Agencies Responding
Stowe Rescue Service, Stowe Police Department

Time of Call
12:00 – 14:15

Weather Conditions
Clear and calm