SummitPost.org

Thank God they stayed put in the Hut...Angels were on their side...YAHOO !!!

Nice to see a happy ending for once.

outofstep80 wrote:Nice to see a happy ending for once.

+1!




Gonna be interesting to hear the final report from Inyo Sar on this one.

Chief, is there a website you can go to and read up on SAR reports and their findings? Does such a thing exist? Thanks...

Here for Inyo SAR (but it is currently under reconstruction...)

http://www.inyosar.org/



Here for Mono SAR:

http://www.monosar.org/

Then select the Operations tab.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks News Release

For Immediate Release: October 21, 2010
Contact: Dana M. Dierkes
Phone Number: (559) 565-3131

Three Hikers Rescued and Two Additional Hikers
Missing in/Around Mount Whitney Area

Inyo County Sheriff’s Office and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are still conducting a multi-faceted search and rescue operation in/around the Mount Whitney area. Three people have been rescued from Mount Whitney. However, the search and rescue operation has been expanded to include two additional missing men.

Three men (Phillip Michael Abraham, age 34; Stevan James Filips, age 43; and Dale Clymens, age 45), all from the Omaha, Nebraska area, were rescued from Mount Whitney at approximately 12 noon on Thursday, October 21. The group had originally planned a day hike to Mount Whitney on Monday, October 18, but had been trapped in the Mount Whitney Hut in a snowstorm since then. Three National Park Service (NPS) search and rescue personnel hiked in to the site. Both the NPS staff and a California National Guard helicopter reached the men at approximately the same time. All three men were able to walk and move around during a quick general health assessment by park personnel. Various parties assisted with this search and rescue operation, including California National Guard and Yosemite Search and Rescue.

Two additional hikers, a father and son who were not part of the previously missing group, had planned a three-day, 36-mile cross-country loop in/around the Mount Whitney area starting and ending at the Whitney Portal. The group planned to return on Tuesday, October 19. The missing men include Sinh Baghsohi, who is 27 years old, is approximately 6’5” tall and weighs 287 lbs, as well as his father, Baghsohi, Sr., first name unknown, who is approximately 6’ tall and weighs approximately 180 lbs. Both men are originally from Iran, but their current city/state is unknown. No photos of the men are available yet. The two men had hiked in with a friend. The friend became ill and hiked out alone. If you have seen or come in contact with either of the two missing individuals, please call the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Incident Command Post at 559-565-3117.

Approximately 45 people have been assigned to the two search and rescue incidents. Search operations are still being hampered by snow with accumulations between 1-3 feet.


–NPS–

Vitaliy M wrote:

The Chief wrote:Gonna be interesting to hear the final report from Inyo Sar on this one.

What do you find INTERESTING about people almost freezing to death???

I would bet that The Chief Is intersted in, "the why". They were with a group that dissolved. I would think
that when mistakes are made or poor judgements are instituted we can learn from them. As well as the
climbers that were rescued can learn.

1000Pks wrote:Easy to speculate. They were from Nebraska, a long way to come. Failed to note or disregarded weather forecasts or signs. You do this to make it to the top. Inexperience. Peer pressure, do or die. Government paid rescue, instant heroes celebs, no fees for rescue services, book deals, TV shows, survival stories, even millions in the bank! Or maybe just regular dumb asses who just didn't know you can get into trouble on an easy peak like Whitney, by me at times. Or whatever!

Off Subject- hiked with Doug Mantle last weekend. You two climbed a bit years ago. Nice guy

sjarelkwint wrote:

Vitaliy M wrote:

The Chief wrote:Gonna be interesting to hear the final report from Inyo Sar on this one.

What do you find INTERESTING about people almost freezing to death???

They OBVIOUSLY made a mistake ...
What was it, how can we avoid it ourself?

Pretty simple; they weren't prepared for this kind of weather. Anything can happen this time of the year. Luckily they are safe and sound.

The other two missing hikers were found near Cedar Grove today. That's quite a detour from their planned route to summit Whitney and come out at Whitney Portal.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks News Release
For Immediate Release: October 22, 2010

Mt. Whitney Area Search and Rescue Ends - Last Two Missing Hikers Found

Two missing hikers, a father and son who had not hiked out on time from the Mount Whitney area after a planned 36-mile cross-country loop, have been found. The two men – Sina Sadeghi Baghsorkhi, 27, and Abdolreza Sadeghi, 56 – walked out on park trails in the Cedar Grove area, which is approximately 50 miles away and far from their original planned route. Approximately 70 people assisted with the search and rescue effort. Groups searching for the missing hikers included the National Park Service, Los Angeles County Search and Rescue, Sierra Madre Search and Rescue, Inyo County Sheriff’s Office, Inyo County Search and Rescue, and the California National Guard.

Right. Tragic, that satellite-phone story.

Now all we get are these stupid phones that have less range than the ones we had in the 1990s. Fifteen years later, but a technological step backward instead of forward in that respect. Sure, their lower power means they can be small now, which comes in handy. But it would at least be nice to have reasonable options to own a phone with higher transmission power (larger phone, perhaps) for use where better range is needed.

Of course, the market is driven by 16-year-old texting-while-driving or texting-in-classroom morons who are never more than a mile from the nearest suburban cell tower.

So I don't suppose the two gentlemen who walked out at Cedar Grove gave their story to anyone? Anyone got a link or anything? I'd be very curious what their reasoning was for going to Cedar Grove. 50 miles. I wouldn't think they'd have enough food.

HJ

Vitaliy M wrote:

Day Hiker wrote:
Now all we get are these stupid phones that have less range than the ones we had in the 1990s. Fifteen years later, but a technological step backward instead of forward in that respect. Sure, their lower power means they can be small now, which comes in handy. But it would at least be nice to have reasonable options to own a phone with higher transmission power (larger phone, perhaps) for use where better range is needed.

People have a choice. You can buy a satellite phone if you want.

A satellite phone would be great, but I never said I wanted one. What I did say is, "It would at least be nice to have reasonable options to own a phone with higher transmission power (larger phone, perhaps) for use where better range is needed."

Sorry, people don't always have a choice. In this case, there is no such system available.

Day Hiker wrote:

Vitaliy M wrote:

Day Hiker wrote:
Now all we get are these stupid phones that have less range than the ones we had in the 1990s. Fifteen years later, but a technological step backward instead of forward in that respect. Sure, their lower power means they can be small now, which comes in handy. But it would at least be nice to have reasonable options to own a phone with higher transmission power (larger phone, perhaps) for use where better range is needed.

People have a choice. You can buy a satellite phone if you want.

A satellite phone would be great, but I never said I wanted one. What I did say is, "It would at least be nice to have reasonable options to own a phone with higher transmission power (larger phone, perhaps) for use where better range is needed."

Sorry, people don't always have a choice. In this case, there is no such system available.

This is an area where capitalism has failed miserably. Tanzania has better cell coverage in the middle of the Serengeti two days from the nearest paved road than the US has on the most traveled highway from San Francisco to LA. People I've met in South Africa don't even understand what I am talking about when I mention there are areas in the US without cell phone coverage. Pathetic.