The Chief wrote:OK...
Here's the deal!
I am still working out the deal of my situ last summer when Jack Pressman, a client under my charge, that died of HAPE (holds the record for onset to death at 3.2 hours btw) at 10,800' after I administered 1.25 hours of CPR and then had to pronounce him dead.
The ensuing 6 hours alone with him waiting for the local SAR to show up, and never did, was one that also fired up some very intense emotions in me after my 24 years of Naval service. Of which I did 5 of those years flying SAR, 16 responding to crashes and A/C incidents that ended in many fatalities/body recoveries the likes no one should have to deal with.
The link brought back some very vivid memories of my first friends death on the eve of Oct 3, 1977 off the coast of Spain.
Now, I find nothing "interesting" in being an initial responder and witnessing a human being breath their last breath.
It remains imbedded in ones brain forever!
And... it SUCKS!
That was the intent of my post.
I feel for Zeth more than you could ever imagine.... unless you too have been there and done that.
Brian's death needs to find a path of goodness so that we can all learn from what happened. Then, do our solemn best to not let it happen to us or anyone we are climbing with or around. As do all and any fatal incidents within our community.
You are right: there is nothing interesting about it.
While I share some of the same sentiments as you do, working as a first responder, first in Salinas, CA, and now in Los Angeles, in frequently extremely violent areas, most of (but certainly not all) the bodies I've been around or people who've expired in my presence have had something to do with the direct actions of other people, and not through accidents, malfunctions, oversights, etc....
One develops a sort of neutrality (or, at least, I have) over time, where it's just part of the job. I wonder if those who work in similar positions, but who deal primarily with accidents, falls, car wrecks and various other similar situations develop sensitivities, for want of a better word, of a different nature.
I've seen a lot of bad things that just don't get to me, but sitting alone, at altitude, with someone who died, waiting for people who aren't coming, would be pretty much the worst.