On the evening of July 17th, the brigade responded to a mission in the Pecos Wildness area within Santa Fe National Forest. A hiker self-reported via Garmin InReach satellite messenger. He had lost the trail in a hail storm and potentially injured his leg. His location was known thanks to his Garmin and he was planning on staying put until rescuers arrived. Six members of the brigade responded in two waves, with another two members available later if needed. We left our home base in Los Alamos at 6:30pm and 7:30pm.
Driving to the mission, we kept an eye on the thunderstorms over the Pecos Wilderness and Sangre de Cristo Mountains. We were hopeful they would dissipate by the time we arrived.
Dashcam image from Matt Handley.
Briefing and Our Assignment
By 10pm, all of our team had arrived at the Incident Command Post, been briefed on our assignment, and began hitting the trail. Two teams from Santa Fe, Atalaya SAR and Skyline SAR, were already in the field and making their way to the subject’s coordinates via the shortest route. However, they reported poor trail conditions with heavily overgrown vegetation, which was soaking wet from the day’s thunderstorms. Our assignment was to hike in on a slightly longer alternative route, assessing trail conditions and potential helicopter landing zones along the way.
By the time we got in the field, the thunderstorms had cleared and the night sky opened up to views of the milky way galaxy and countless stars.
Photo by Matt Handley.
Over our 5.5 mile hike in, we found multiple potential helicopter landing zones and determined the trail out was in good condition for a wheeled litter extraction or hike out with the subject. At the same time other teams had made contact with the subject, evaluated his condition, and began walking out with him towards us. Just after midnight, we met up with several members of Atalaya SAR. At that point we hunkered down in the dark, waiting for the subject and other teams to reach us on their hike out, standing by with extra resources if needed.
Transitioning to Wheeled Litter Extraction
By 2am the other teams with the subject had made their way to us. In conjunction with Incident Command, it was determined the best course of action from here would be to litter out the subject for the remaining 5+ miles to the trailhead. We assisted with assembling the litter, preparing a vacuum splint, and packaging the subject in the litter. About a dozen SAR volunteers from all three teams wheeled and carried the litter through muddy stream crossings, over downed trees, and around switchbacks.
SAR volunteers navigate the litter around a switchback and make their way out of the wilderness.
Photo by Sam Larsen.
Closeout
Around 5am we reached the trailhead and transferred the subject to waiting local EMS for evaluation. All teams debriefed, carpooled back to the Incident Command Post, and began making their way home as the sun came up. With a quick stop for some breakfast burritos, all brigade members made it home by 8am.
Thank you to Atalaya SAR, Skyline SAR, and all of the Incident Management Team for a successful, well executed mission.