BASS LAKE – What was supposed to be a nice outing to the mountains for a group of four young people turned into a Search and Rescue mission near Bass Lake this afternoon.
The group of two young women from Fresno, and two young men — one from Sanger and another from New York — arrived in the Angel Falls area around noon today and headed up to the waterfall for an afternoon of swimming and enjoying themselves.
Just moments after arriving, the 24-year-old man from Sanger started climbing up the yellow rope just below the fenced water box, slipped on the wet rock and fell about 25 feet into a deep hole with very little water in it, landing between a large rock and the granite wall. He sustained a broken leg and lacerations to his face.
His three companions formed a kind of human chain, pulling him up onto a flat granite area, and calling 911 for assistance.
Madera County Fire Engines 12 and 18 responded, along with Sierra Ambulance, Madera County Sheriffs deputies, Cal Fire, COPs and Search and Rescue.
After arriving at the scene and assessing the situation, Sgt. Wilder called for a helicopter to do a short haul — to lift the injured man from the steep canyon and transport him to a waiting SkyLife air ambulance, which had set down on Cowboy’s Trail, about a mile from the scene of the accident.
With so many local resources assigned to the Serpa Fire and the nearest engine at Ahwahnee, a USFS engine in the area from the Sequoia National Forest was enlisted to assist, and cleared the landing zone for SkyLife.
Sierra Ambulance personnel prepared the man for transport, tended to his broken leg and facial injuries, and assisted by deputies and SAR team members, lifted him onto a litter, then secured their patient. Those assisting held a blanket over him, creating a shield from the blazing sun as paramedics did their work.
While SkyLife One was available to transport the patient to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, it is not equipped to do a rope rescue, and the Incident Commander called for CHP’s H40 to respond. However, H40 was on another rescue at the time, so the IC requested helicopter H551 out of Yosemite.
Meanwhile, SAR personnel were setting up for Plan B, in case they were unable to get a helicopter to assist. They set up for a high-angle rope rescue, where they would lift the patient up the steep rock slab, carry him across the riverbed and up the rocky trail to the ambulance.
One of the interesting things of note at the site were the permanent anchors that have been set in the rock, due to the frequency of SAR missions carried out at this recreation spot.
By 2:30 p.m., with no assistance from the air, they began the rope rescue, making use of a heavy steel cable to secure the patient as they crossed the creek bed. The other man who was part of the group visiting Angel Falls strapped on a red helmet and helped carry his friend up the hill.
After moving the injured man safely across the creek, and H551 not expected over the scene for at least 15 minutes, the IC cancelled the helicopter and the patient was carried to the top of the rocky trail to the ground ambulance.
Just as this mission was winding down, 29 new SAR team members were preparing to graduate from the SAR Academy, and Madera County can now welcome 18 men and 11 women to the team — 15 from the valley and 14 from the mountain area.
