1 dead 1 injured / Aug 10 2019, Pingora, Cirque of the Towers, Wind Rivers, WY

Tragic news.  Awaiting more detailed reports. Limited news posted so far.

Our party was camped pretty high up in the Cirque for several days prior, and were on Tiger Tower / Wolfs Head Friday Aug 9. We never heard anything Friday pm or Sat am until the SAR chopper came overhead Sat afternoon. Uncertain which parties in the Cirque heard anything and responded. 

Just a terrible event all around. Please correct any unintentional misinformation.  At this time, it seems one climber took a back-breaking lead fall. The partner then attempted to descend for help and rappelled off the end of their rope in the process.
Sincere condolences to the survivor and both party’s friends and loved ones. It seems there is much to learn from this event.  Any details anyone can offer are appreciated. Particularly interested in learning the forms of and series of communications utilized to eventually get through to the Sheriff and SAR. 
So far, the Billings Gazette and Buckwire have just been able to report that one climber suffered injuries and the other died. Pinedale Online has a few more details, mostly surrounding the SAR effort (posted below).
http://www.pinedaleonline.com/news/2019/08/TipTopSARkeepsbusywi.htm

Instinct says to go go go, but you really have to slow down. 

This is a detailed report of the rescue in the hopes that climbers in the future can be as prepared as my partner and I were and make good decisions that lead to possibly saving someone’s life.
 
My partner and I were climbing Pingora when this all went down. It was around 12:30-1pm when we discovered the injured climber about 200ft from the summit. Matt's details are correct as far as I know or can speculate. I'm not sure if anyone knows for certain how the injured climber's partner actually fell, but it seems that he was trying to get help for his friend and somehow fell in the process. When we found the injured climber he was alone and had been propped up with a climbing rope which was strung up in a sort of pulley system attached to a rock to keep his body upright since he couldn't move or support his own weight. The man was in pain, but was conscious and lucid. After assessing the situation, getting some general information from the man, and providing him with some layers for warmth, we sent out an SOS. My partner had a Garmin inReach mini, a satellite communication device, that he borrowed from a friend for this trip. Instantly we were connected with Emergency Services. I communicated with SAR and Emergency Responders for roughly 5 hours, giving them more detail about our location and the injured climber, while my partner talked to the injured man and helped support his body to make him as comfortable as possible.
 
I want to give as much detail as possible about the communication with SAR in case someone reading this finds themselves in a similar situation they might know what to expect. They asked a lot of initial questions about our location because while these satellite communication devices do send out GPS coordinates, we were getting some satellite interference and we were 1000+ feet up on a mountain which makes it hard to pinpoint an exact location. Being aware of our exact location on the route was crucial to the success of this rescue. I can't stress enough how important it is to be over-prepared and have as much information about your location as possible. Next they asked us about the injured climber. Luckily he was awake and lucid, which was crucial in gathering information from him. They wanted basic information including name and age. Then they wanted as much information as we could give about his injuries. This helps them determine if it is safe to move the injured person, how serious their injuries are, and how they want to go about the rescue. My partner was unbelievably professional in how he stayed calm while assessing the injuries and gathering this information to give as accurate and objective information as possible.  
 
4 hours into the ordeal another climbing group came upon us. We told them what was going on and that we have been in contact with SAR. They left us some layers and headed to the summit to see if they could get cellphone reception to help assist the rescue. At around 6pm we finally heard the SAR chopper. They circled Pingora for 5 to 10min to locate us and assess their rescue plan, then they landed in a field on the other side of Lonesome Lake. They spent roughly 15min setting up before taking off again, this time with a rescuer attached to a long rope that hung below the helicopter. The helicopter pilot was able to maneuver with unbelievable precision and drop the rescuer literally 5 feet to the right of where we were. He unclipped and got to work, gathering a little bit of information before putting the injured man in a screamer suit, calling the chopper back in, clipping in, and taking off with the climber. From when the rescuer landed on the mountain to when he took off with the man was maybe slightly over 5min. It was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. They landed the chopper in the same field as before, better assessed the climber’s injuries, put him inside the helicopter and flew him out of there.

My partner and I then proceeded to the summit where the group that had come upon us was waiting with rappels set up. Being a good friend and member of the climbing community is crucial in situations like these, and my partner and I owe a lot to these guys sticking around to make sure we got down safe.

Here are the things that stuck with me and that I want to share with the climbing community:

• Be good to each other. A lot of the time this community is all we have when it comes to situations like this. Be helpful, be kind, be responsible, and watch out for each other out there. This was a stressful situation to be in, but I am just glad that my partner and I were in the right place at the right time to help this man.
• Be prepared. This satellite communication device saved this man’s life. I know these things are expensive, but it is such a small price to pay for saving your own or someone else’s life. I hope that you would never have to use one, but having one with you is absolutely essential is you are climbing in isolated and remote areas.
• Climb safe and climb smart. I understand the desire to push your boundaries, but sacrificing safety is not worth it. 

My condolences go out to the families and friends of both these climbers. I can’t imagine how hard something like this must be. I wish the injured climber a full recovery and I am thankful that my partner and I were there to assist where we could. 

Thanks Jameson.  Great write up and great job, you and your partner, for doing so much to help.  

Thanks Jameson for being prepared. You made a difference. 

So crazy the leader was 67, this is really sad news.

Thanks, Jameson.  So great that you and your partner brought reliable communication equipment and stepped into the role of helping until SAR arrived.

Do you know which route they were climbing?

Mulch wrote: So crazy the leader was 67, this is really sad news.

Why is that crazy?

Jameson Harper wrote: I want to give as much detail as possible about the communication with SAR in case someone reading this finds themselves in a similar situation they might know what to expect. They asked a lot of initial questions about our location because while these satellite communication devices do send out GPS coordinates, we were getting some satellite interference and we were 1000+ feet up on a mountain which makes it hard to pinpoint an exact location. Being aware of our exact location on the route was crucial to the success of this rescue.

How did you express your exact location on the route to SAR? Did you tell them you were near a specific feature, or something like that?

Eli W wrote:

How did you express your exact location on the route to SAR? Did you tell them you were near a specific feature, or something like that?

We said we were on the northeast face of Pingora about 150-200ft from the summit climbing the Northeast Face route. Lucky for us a lot of the SAR responders in the area had climbing experience and either knew where to find a topo of the route or had climbed the route before. When the helicopter showed up they knew exactly where to look for us and picked our location out almost instantly. 

Bill Lawry wrote: Thanks, Jameson.  So great that you and your partner brought reliable communication equipment and stepped into the role of helping until SAR arrived.

Do you know which route they were climbing?

I'm not entirely sure, but they were east of us so probably East Face, Left Side Cracks or East Ledges. 

Jameson Harper wrote:...we sent out an SOS. My partner had a Garmin inReach mini, a satellite communication device, that he borrowed from a friend for this trip. Instantly we were connected with Emergency Services. I communicated with SAR and Emergency Responders for roughly 5 hours, giving them more detail about our location and the injured climber...

Could you explain more about who you were able to communicate with the inReach? Did Garmin actually put you in direct contact with local SAR and Emergency Responders? Or was the Garmin SOS service acting as an intermediary, relaying your info to the rescuers?

I ask because I used the SOS feature on an inReach for a rescue this year on Cerro Torre (Argentina). During this rescue the Garmin SOS service continually relayed inaccurate information that complicated and endangered the rescue (eg. "ground rescuers will be to your location in 12 hrs" but 24+ hrs later ground rescuers hadn't arrived). At one point I explicitly asked the Garmin SOS service to put me in touch with the local SAR team. They refused.

Ultimately,  the rescue was successful because we also had a VHF radio to communicate with the Parque Nacional directly. When a helicopter was eventually able to fly, we texted our GPS coordinates directly to a local SAR team phone after a friend in the US emailed them our inReach number.

Bottomline: Satellite devices are great, but as a climber I wouldn't be too reliant on the device's built in SOS service. Especially when traveling internationally. These services, in my my view, simply aren't setup for high-angle rescues in truly remote locations. You can avoid some of the issues we had by obtaining the contact info for the local SAR team or helicopter services before you head into the mountains.

Here’s an excellent article about what happens when you hit the SOS button on your PLB communicator:
​What Happens Next?​​​

Jack Cramer wrote: Could you explain more about who you were able to communicate with the inReach? Did Garmin actually put you in direct contact with local SAR and Emergency Responders? Or was the Garmin SOS service acting as an intermediary, relaying your info to the rescuers?

I ask because I used the SOS feature on an inReach for a rescue this year on Cerro Torre (Argentina). During this rescue the Garmin SOS service continually relayed inaccurate information that complicated and endangered the rescue (eg. "ground rescuers will be to your location in 12 hrs" but 24+ hrs later ground rescuers hadn't arrived). At one point I explicitly asked the Garmin SOS service to put me in touch with the local SAR team. They refused.

Ultimately,  the rescue was successful because we also had a VHF radio to communicate with the Parque Nacional directly. When a helicopter was eventually able to fly, we texted our GPS coordinates directly to a local SAR team phone after a friend in the US emailed them our inReach number.

Bottomline: Satellite devices are great, but as a climber I wouldn't be too reliant on the device's built in SOS service. Especially when traveling internationally. These services, in my my view, simply aren't setup for high-angle rescues in truly remote locations. You can avoid some of the issues we had by obtaining the contact info for the local SAR team or helicopter services before you head into the mountains.

Thanks for the writeup Jameson. 

Jack, all beacons' SOS feature routes the signal the same place(s)regardless of brand through SARSAT. In the US they go to AIR FORCE RESCUE COORDINATION CENTER in FL. In Argentina it's the Argentine Navy, Naval Communications, Satellite Emergency Alert Service (SASS). you can see participating countries and what agency receives the SOS here https://cospas-sarsat.int/en/about-us/participants From what I've read the agency that coordinates rescues does usually pass of communications to the local SAR group. 

Theres a good podcast from AAC "The Sharp End" on how rescues work, and how to set yourself up for successful rescue https://soundcloud.com/the_sharp_end/when-and-how-to-call-for-help-ep-37 

Peter Thomas wrote:

Jack, all beacons' SOS feature routes the signal the same place(s)regardless of brand through SARSAT. 

I think this is true for Personal Locator Beacons. But it contradicts the article linked above: "Satellite messengers like InReach, SPOT, Bivystick, and others which utilize private satellite networks, send SOS calls to the GEOS International Emergency Response Coordination Center in Montgomery Texas, regardless of where they are activated. "

Either way there are only a few of these 24-hr rescue services.

Jack Cramer wrote:

I think this is true for Personal Locator Beacons. But it contradicts the article linked above: "Satellite messengers like InReach, SPOT, Bivystick, and others which utilize private satellite networks, send SOS calls to the GEOS International Emergency Response Coordination Center in Montgomery Texas, regardless of where they are activated. "

Either way there are only a few of these 24-hr rescue services.

Yes, this is correct. PLBs go through SARSAT (407 mHz beacons), SENDs (Satellite Emergency Notification Devices) go through GEOS which then selects an appropriate local resource to patch you to. This may include a national rescue coordination centre, a local Sheriff/Police/911, or the local National Park authority.

FosterK wrote:

...SENDs (Satellite Emergency Notification Devices) go through GEOS which then selects an appropriate local resource to patch you to. This may include a national rescue coordination centre, a local Sheriff/Police/911, or the local National Park authority.

I don't think the SOS service (GEOS) ever "patched" me to the appropriate local resource, which I assume would have been the Argentine Naval Satellite Emergency Alert Service or similar. This is suspicion is based of the SOS personnel's consistent use of English grammar throughout the 30-hr rescue and their detailed knowledge of the inReach battery life after it reached 0%.

So if I could return to my original question posed to Jameson (or anyone else who's used the inReach SOS button in a real emergency), did the inReach SOS service connect you directly with local SAR services? Or did they act as intermediary?

Jack Cramer wrote:

I don't think the SOS service (GEOS) ever "patched" me to the appropriate local resource, which I assume would have been the Argentine Naval Satellite Emergency Alert Service or similar. This is suspicion is based of the SOS personnel's consistent use of English grammar throughout the 30-hr rescue and their detailed knowledge of the inReach battery life after it reached 0%.

So if I could return to my original question posed to Jameson (or anyone else who's used the inReach SOS button in a real emergency), did the inReach SOS service connect you directly with local SAR services? Or did they act as intermediary?

No they don't always get it right, but to speak to local experience they do, sometimes get it correct (i.e. Parks Canada will be patched in directly).

Jack Cramer wrote: Could you explain more about who you were able to communicate with the inReach? Did Garmin actually put you in direct contact with local SAR and Emergency Responders? Or was the Garmin SOS service acting as an intermediary, relaying your info to the rescuers?

I ask because I used the SOS feature on an inReach for a rescue this year on Cerro Torre (Argentina). During this rescue the Garmin SOS service continually relayed inaccurate information that complicated and endangered the rescue (eg. "ground rescuers will be to your location in 12 hrs" but 24+ hrs later ground rescuers hadn't arrived). At one point I explicitly asked the Garmin SOS service to put me in touch with the local SAR team. They refused.

Ultimately,  the rescue was successful because we also had a VHF radio to communicate with the Parque Nacional directly. When a helicopter was eventually able to fly, we texted our GPS coordinates directly to a local SAR team phone after a friend in the US emailed them our inReach number.

Bottomline: Satellite devices are great, but as a climber I wouldn't be too reliant on the device's built in SOS service. Especially when traveling internationally. These services, in my my view, simply aren't setup for high-angle rescues in truly remote locations. You can avoid some of the issues we had by obtaining the contact info for the local SAR team or helicopter services before you head into the mountains.

I don’t want to hijack the thread, but I was recently rescued off Eldorado peak in north Cascade’s national park. We had an inreach mini and my partner pressed the SOS button as soon as the incident happened and within 3 hours, the Navy SAR team had arrived to pluck me off the mtn in a style similar to this and transported me to an ER in Seattle. We were on a ridge with no place for the chopper the land. I did not use the inreach but I believe my partner was communicating with the park service the whole time. There was definitely a period of time where we were unsure what was happening and were preparing to spend the night as it was dark, but then we heard the chopper arrive. I was very impressed with how smooth, and how fast things moved. 

Jack - I had a similar experience with Inreach in Peru once. My standard international practice now is, in addition to the regular SOS process, to add a friend to the notification list with instructions on how to contact and communicate with the local SAR teams directly, along with route description.

In that particular rescue, the Inreach process went through the embassy and it was an extremely slow process as they traded voicemails with the regional police. Meanwhile, a friend contacted the SAR team directly and had them mobilized and en route long before the embassy got around to sending a message (next day) on whether or not we wanted them to authorize a whirly bird.

I've had to hit the button several times in the US, and those all went through the proper channels without incident.

Man, this is horrible news. Good job everyone in assisting this rescue operation.

A follow up article about the recovery. The victim was Zijah Kurtovic, 63, of Evanston, Ill.

Recovery operation