Rescue on Nippletop slide

http://pressrepublican.com/0100_news/x1839367808/Grueling-rescue-saves-Adirondack-hiker



http://adirondackdailyenterprise.com/page/content.detail/id/534530.html

Ranger Julie is the real deal. Advanced EMT, she was one of my instructors at the wilderness first aid course I took a couple of years ago.

There were 4 people in the party, good guys all. Three of them apparently strong hikers and very experienced.
Some contributing factors being discussed:
The person who fell had never been on a winter slide or used crampons.
The fall occurred on a relatively level section of the slide and that the others were about to secure him with a rope and protection when he fell.
A 10:30am start at the Ausable Club got them to the slide later that was desirable.
The accident happened 20 min before dark well down on the slide significantly added to the difficulty of the rescue.
It's clear that some of the party were very experienced and should be credited with saving the injured party's life.
Only passing along details, not passing along any evaluation of what happened.

"The ordeal began 4 p.m. Saturday when a member of a four-person hiking group fell 150 to 200 feet down a slide on Nippletop Mountain. Members of his group tried to call for help, but with limited cell-phone service, they were unable to reach emergency workers. The group split up, one climbing down to the 41-year-old male from Syracuse, and the other two heading down the mountain to call for help."

4PM!!!!

10:30AM was a late start for climbing Nippletop via the trail but adding the walk down the drainage from the Elk Pass Ponds (itself likely very icy and slow going at any time of year), furthermore the slide is extremely steep in places (and particularly at the very bottom) and then requires some tight forest going at the top before reaching the true summit. Personally cannot associate being experienced and reaching bottom of slide at 4PM and not deciding to turn back... in December!!!

BlackSpruce said:

...Personally cannot associate being experienced and reaching bottom of slide at 4PM and not deciding to turn back... in December!!!

Click to expand...

Didn't say they reached the bottom of the slide at 4PM; it said he fell at 4PM. They may have already been on the way down, it doesn't say... but as you say, 10:30 seems a late start for conditions like that at this time if year.

I believe they were ascending when the accident happened with much of the climb in front of them.

Here an article of mine from a 2011 climb of that slide:

http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2011/08/climbing-the-nippletop-slide.html

Whether they were on the way up (much more likely) or on the way down, the relevant point is that they were on the slide with less than half an hour of remaining daylight. Timing is maybe not everything, but it's big.

nundagao said:

Whether they were on the way up (much more likely) or on the way down, the relevant point is that they were on the slide with less than half an hour of remaining daylight. Timing is maybe not everything, but it's big.

Click to expand...

One issue with hiking after dark is that someone who has already been hiking all day is more likely to be wet, tired, dehydrated, etc. - with a late start that may be less of a problem

Here is a first hand account by one of the trip participants.

http://adkhighpeaks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19857

Read it and found it as self-serving as enlightening and feeling really/very sorry for the hurt climber, had no idea what he was getting into following so-called experienced climbers and is the one who got hurt big time! We know it already but for sure life ain't fair.


Mind you there is a sliver of good news in that horrible story: DEC cut a path to slide for the rescue, sure hope it's to the bottom, otherwise we will have to ask them to go back and open a more appropriate one!

BlackSpruce said:

Read it and found it as self-serving as enlightening and feeling really/very sorry for the hurt climber, had no idea what he was getting into following so-called experienced climbers and is the one who got hurt big time! We know it already but for sure life ain't fair.

Click to expand...

There are alot of folks out there doing things in the mountains beyond their capabilities or knowledge and because they get through it, they are certain they understood the risks because they were able to complete their hiking/climbing plan. This goes for the novices and all the way up to the experienced leaders. We often shake our heads after these events and wonder..."What were they thinking?". It was another unfortunate accident and as usual, bad judgement, complacency, over-estimating one's abilities, etc. contributed to the unfortunate outcome. I am glad to hear that the victim is recovering and the others knew what to do in event of an emergency. This just becomes another lesson learned for the participants and the observers. However, we are humans, we make mistakes and have accidents and we know we will be reading similar accident stories in the future.

BTW, I personally believe that rescues should not be free just like when you call an ambulance to your house, there should be a cost to pay.

"This just becomes another lesson learned for the participants and the observers."

We all wished it was only that! The seriousness of the rescued climber injuries makes the event a life changing mistake.

Yes - I just read about his injuries on ADK High Peaks forum. Probably 9 out of 10 wouldn't have survived that accident.

In today's paper: "Heroic effort saved climber’s life"


http://www.adirondackdailyenterpris...oic-effort-saved-climber-s-life.html?nav=5008

BlackSpruce said:

In today's paper: "Heroic effort saved climber’s life"


http://www.adirondackdailyenterpris...oic-effort-saved-climber-s-life.html?nav=5008

Click to expand...

This climber certainly is lucky to be alive! What an amazing effort to save his life and rescue him!!
Thankfully they were wearing helmets, which certainly had to be a factor in saving his life! If he has Head Injuries with one, death more than likely would had occurred without one!