On March 4, a 911 call came into the San Bernardino (Calif.) Sheriff’s Dispatch Center and was immediately relayed to the county Fire Dispatch Center. The caller reported that someone had fallen an unknown distance onto rocks in the Deep Creek drainage in north Running Springs and was unconscious.
At 1759 hrs, the Running Springs Fire Department dispatched its on-duty crew–ALS Ambulance 50 and Squad 51. When units arrived on scene, they found an extremely steep ravine dropping into Deep Creek. The area includes a north-facing slope that gets little sunlight, and with temperatures in the low 30s, there were large patches of ice.
When attempting to size up the situation, first responders found that bystanders had conflicting stories as to how many people were injured (reports ranged from three to six persons) and exactly where they were located. To put an end to the confusion, an engineer and a firefighter began trying to locate the injured people.
While walking along the top of the ravine, the engineer stepped on a patch of ice, lost his footing and slipped over the edge. He slid approximately 75 feet down a steep slope, free fell for about 25 feet and then landed in Deep Creek.
The firefighter quickly but carefully worked his way down the slope to the engineer. The engineer had briefly lost consciousness, but was now alert, oriented and complaining of head and back pain. He did not appear to have any life-threatening injuries.
By now, a clearer picture of the situation was emerging. Two people had fallen down ice chutes approximately 100—150 feet west of the injured engineer’s location. The first to fall was a 15-year-old male. The second was a 48-year-old female, who had fallen in an attempt to assist the younger male. An adult male had also fallen while trying to assist the other two, but he had worked his way out of the drainage. He was transported by ground ambulance to the Loma Linda University Medical Center at 1800 hrs.
It was obvious that the call was going to be very complex, requiring a significant number of additional resources. Those resources initially included San Bernardino County Fire Rescue 91 and Medic Engine 91. Additional EMS units included San Bernardino County Fire Medic 92-R, Running Springs ALS Ambulance 51-A and one unit from the Crest Forest Fire District. Two battalion chiefs also responded: Running Spring Battalion 133 and San Bernardino Command.
Command requested search-and-rescue (SAR) crews from the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, which quickly dispatched the RimSAR, Bear Valley SAR and Central SAR teams. The Sheriff’s Department also dispatched Sheriff Air Rescue Helicopter, which used spotlights to illuminate the area and assist teams below in pinpointing the location of the victims.
Responders determined that it would take three separate haul systems to raise the victims. The first system was for the engineer, whose fellow firefighters had placed him on a backboard, packaged him in a litter and were keeping him warm.
Once the engineer was hauled to the top of the slope, firefighters carried him in the litter to a landing zone (LZ), where Mercy Air Ambulance was waiting to transport him to the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. He had suffered mild to moderate hypothermia, as well as head, back and leg injuries.
The other two victims were farther down the ravine–approximately 400 feet from the top–and the terrain varied from low to steep to high angle. Using 600′ ropes, rescuers anchored lines on the side of the ice chute. They then rigged a 5:1 mechanical advantage system, attached it to the main line and raised both patients in litters.
After arriving at the top of the ravine, the female was transferred to Mercy Air, which flew her to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center. She complained of head and back pain. The young male, who had mild hypothermia, was transported by ground ambulance to Loma Linda University Medical Center.
Sources: Bill Smith, chief of the Running Springs Fire Department, provided information for this report. Some additional details were taken from sbsun.com.
Lessons Learned/Lessons Reinforced:
The area gets a great deal of summer recreational use, and a number of people have fallen there during warm weather; however, this was the first cold-weather rescue. Cold weather risks include cold-related injuries, such as frostbite and hypothermia, but they can also include icy conditions that create unstable footing, as was the case here.
As always, safety is the most important aspect of any rescue. The priorities for safety in any rescue are:
- Personal safety
- Safety for the rescue team
- Safety of bystanders and other uninvolved persons
- Safety of the rescue subject
When rescue personnel arrive on scene, they must first size up the scene for any risks to rescuers and report them to incoming responders. Size up should begin as soon as a unit is dispatched, continue during response and continue as others arrive on scene.
Lastly, it was fortunate that there was good cooperation and support from various agencies, as this was a very complex and treacherous rescue.
