• Placer County Mutual Aid - 2008
Two experienced skiers were reported missing after Saturday night, February 2, 2008, out of Alpine Meadows. Placer SAR, Placer EDSO, Alpine Meadows Ski Patrol and Placer Nordic (North Tahoe) searched for the missing skiers. On Sunday El Dorado SAR callout made for Nordic (West Slope) for an OES Placer county mutual aid request.
Skiers were found near Hell Hole Reservoir (over nine miles away per mapping software). In the meantime, our team was dispatched.
Grant Nelson said:
Gary Kring, Jim Cahill, and I responded on Monday, February 4, to the callout. Two men in their 30's had been missing since Saturday, February 2. Winds up to 140 mph were recorded on Saturday night. Avalanche danger had been rated as high. Our response was delayed by the extensive black ice present after an overnight rain squall in Placerville was followed by a clear, cold night. We had to drive very slowly to maintain control of Rescue 3. We were deployed to a search area on the Pacific Crest south of Ward Peak. After taking the lift to a point near the top of Ward Peak, we skinned up in high winds and blowing snow. We were just about to start skiing up the ridge when Gary heard on the radio that the subjects had been found! We removed our climbing skins and got off that wind blown ridge as quickly as we could! While in the parking lot at CP, we received many "Thank You's" and "Search and Rescue rules!" from customers and employees. It was a really nice feeling! That is what being in SAR is all about!
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