the story as told by the boys

This is the story from my (Mark Rosen) perspective. There were 15 people on the trip. Each of them saw different aspects of the event and from different perspectives.


We left Murray and drove to Green River on 21 Jan 2011.  We stayed in the Motel 6 and got up the next morning and left just after 7 AM.
 
There was more snow by the freeway than we were expecting and there was snow on both sides as we went down the frozen Yellow Cat road.  The directions led us right to Winter Camp Ridge and the trailhead was located without problems.  The ground was frozen solid which made driving easy. 
 
 
We divided into two groups with Mark Rosen, Drue Kehl, Spencer Brown, Ben Neilson, Dan Turney and Randy Willes in doing Under Cover and Jeff Dredge, Jordan Dredge, Amy Hansen, Mike Wagstaff, Paul Morris, Jake Wiscomb, Ned Hacker, Darrin Miller, and Scott Jones doing MMI.  We left the cars at about 8:44.  It was a bright and wonderful day with a clear blue sky and sun.  It was cold but not bad while hiking and going down the canyon.  We were headed down our drainage when the MMI group appeared on the rocks above the drainage we were walking down.  We teased them about their route finding skills and getting lost and being in the wrong drainage.  Fact is that I was following the map and Drue had taken a GPS reading that was just a little off from what I expected so we had a little uncertainty.  I was relieved when we arrived at the first rappel through the natural bridge and the correct drainage was confirmed.   One had to be careful at the down climbs with the ice and snow so we set up a hand line at times.  It was a gem of a canyon.  We did the last rappel at _______.
 
We followed the directions down canyon to join with MMI and then up to the exit point.  It looked like the right place and was confirmed by finding cairns.  The sun was shining and warm, the sky was deep blue, and we were in high spirits.  Soon we would be up by the cars having lunch and then down another canyon in the afternoon.
 
The crux of the shortcut out was snow covered.  I tried a vertical section just to the right of it that much of the snow had melted off already.  In warmer days with better shoes I might have been able to smear my way up but not today.  I went up for a while, then came to a stop, and then started to slide down the slope.  I slid right past everyone until I reached a flatter area and came to a stop.  I had lost a little skin but no big deal.  Poor Ben, this was his first canyon and he didn’t know what to do with me sliding down.  At first he put out his hand to try to stop me but then figuring that if he tried we would soon have two of us sliding down quickly withdrew it.   
 
Randy Willes felt that he could do the traverse along the standard route even though it was snow covered and wanted to try.  The traverse was high and sloped but below the route towards the end of the traverse the and below the route the rock had a groove or what Drue referred to as an inverted wishbone. If he fell he would fall into it. We tied a rope to him and he went off but we were at his level and after he had traversed about 40-50 feet we were of no help to him.  In all he would have to traverse about 100 feet laterally.  He found an area that was flatter than most of the slope but still snow covered and made good progress at first.  The last 10 feet slowed his progress.  He got within 16 inches of the corner he was trying for and then slid.  We were on the other end of the rope and we pulled up slack as fast as we could but he plummeted down the slope and then into a big groove in the cliff face (we didn’t take the time to pull the rope through the belay device, the fall line of the cliff was such that we was coming closer to us.  So we had four guys pulling slack up as fast as possible knowing that soon the rope would be pulling the other direction which it did.  One guy couldn’t have held him but with four of us giving our all, we brought him to a stop).  At this point he was out of sight. We couldn’t see or hear him and only knew that the rope was weighted and we better not let go.  Mark, Dan, Spencer, and Ben were forming a meat anchor and we were able to free Ben to run down and see what was going on.  We couldn’t hear him so he had to run back and ask us to lower 15 feet then back to check Randy, then back to tell us to lower another 10 feet.  Finally Randy was down and we could go and check on him.
 
We found him in a notch at the bottom of the groove.  When we arrived Randy was alert and knew what had happened.  He said that he had the wind knocked out of him but we was conversing appropriately and breathing well.  I examined him to see the extent of his injuries. His right ankle had a grade I open fracture.  The foot was rotated 90 degrees from the normal axis.  I aligned it better and we applied a Sam’s splint.   The left ankle was swollen and tender and appeared to have a fracture or bad sprain.  He kept complaining of right hip pain.  The hip seemed to me not as painful as the SI joint and sacrum. He felt pain posteriorly where the pelvis attaches to the spine and I was suspicious that he had a fracture in the sacral/SI joint/pelvic pelvic area.  The hip didn’t seem as tender but it could also have been fractured. His left hand hurt. I couldn’t feel a break.  He could move his hands, arms, neck, and left foot although the right ankle one hurt the most.  He had sensation.  His neck didn’t hurt.  He had some abrasions on his face but not much pain.  His back didn’t seem tender.  He was neurologically intact.  The place where he was wedged was cold and in the shade. He could talk with us but was going into shock.  I decided that we needed to move him into the sun were it was warmer and we could treat him.  We carried him a short way to a relatively flat area where there was sun.  Coats were placed under him to provide some insulation from the rock and then more coats over him.  We placed a mylar blanket over him and the coats on top of that.  Keeping Randy as warm as possible was a high priority.  Then we tried to make him as comfortable as the situation permited.  We discussed carrying him to Lost Spring and decided that was out.  A medical evacuation was in order.  It seemed like it was about 11:30 AM when Randy fell.  Randy’s mental status was appropriate the entire time.  He was quiet but always answered questions and took the pain extremely well. 
 
First it was decided that Dan and I would stay with Randy and provide as much medical care as we could give.  That left Drue, Spencer, and Ben to go for help as rapidly as possible.  Drue was known for his indomitable will. I knew that he would push hard and punish his companions. I thought that Lost Spring was 3 to 4 miles away.  We hoped that they could call from there.  If not they may have to go to the cars and drive until the cell phone worked.  The cars while about a mile away as the crow flys were on top of the rim and about 15 miles away if one hiked down canyon, then up canyon to Lost Springs and then along the roads back completing the big circle back to where we had parked at the trailhead. The map appeared to have shorter options. Depending on cell phone coverage it could take between just over an hour and a half to 5 hours before the SAR could be called. They were instructed not to take chances.  Not to take unknown shortcuts. Stay on the road.  The sure thing although it might be slower was better than the gambling and coming up short.  The three left and we watched for the group that went down MMI.  We began to wonder if they aborted after getting lost at the top because there was no sign of them.
 
Maybe 15 to 20 minutes after the group of three left the MMI group started to come in.  It gave us more coats and ability to warm Randy.  It was a nice sunny day and while in the sun things weren’t too bad.  Paul and Mike were runners and we decided to have them run out and see if they could catch or pass our group of three.  Perhaps they could arrive at the vehicles more quickly.  They left and we explored our options.  We couldn’t find a way out close by and it was soon decided that Jeff, Jordan, Amy, Ned, and Jake would go down canyon and explore for possible helicopter landing sites.  When that was done we decided that they would explore for a possible escape going back to the cars by the arch or looking for some weakness in the cliff band.  They had strict instructions not to try anything even remotely risky or dangerous.
 
We were left with four of us to take care of Randy.  Dan Turney, Darrin Miller, Scott Jones, and me.   Dan was very patient and a great care giver.  Darrin and Scott would do whatever it took and helped with each request.  We waited and wondered what was happening with the rest of our group.  Dan had some Hydrocodone  and we gave Randy two of them.
 
About 3 pm the sun went behind a ridge and it started to get colder and the wind picked up.  I looked across the canyon at the south facing side that still had sun and wondered about moving Randy.  I also wondered if we could find an area more sheltered from the wind.  It would have been very difficult to move him with our makeshift stretcher so I gave up on that idea.  We built a windbreak out of packs which helped some.  We also started a fire and shuttled warmed rocks to Randy.  I was afraid to get the fire too close with Randy unable to move and all the coats on him.  We warmed the rocks by the fire and then I would pick them up with my hands and check them against my face and lips to make sure that they weren't too hot.  I also had Dan check them to make sure that they weren't too warm.  One of them was and Dan caught it.  We also had something between the rock and his skin.  I worried a lot about burning him so I was very careful but Randy was getting cold without the sun.
 
We still didn’t know where anybody that had left was and what was transpiring in the world outside out little rock.
 
It must have been about 3:30 when Jeff and Jake returned without the others in their group.  It was good to see them and hear some news.  The news was that the route they had hoped would go didn’t without too much risk  and they had backed off and sent Jordan, Amy, and Ned out to Lost Springs.  We continued to give Randy sips of gator aid and place warm rocks by chilled boy parts and adjusting things to make him as comfortable as we could considering the limitations.
 
It must have been about 3:45 when someone commented “that is either a low flying airplane or a helicopter.”  We were all immediately scanning the sky.  In a few seconds we could hear the distinct sound of chopper blades and then we could spot the helicopter. What a wonderful sound and sight.
 
The helicopter came up to us and hovered over us and then went on.  It totally disappeared for a minute or two but then it came back and landed about 40 feet away on a rock ledge.  I was impressed that the pilot would land it so close to the wall.  I had thought we would be carrying Randy down canyon 500 yards or so.  The EMT got out and came over and assessed the situation and then Randy.  They splinted his left leg, left the Sam’s splint in place on the right leg and started an IV, placed a cervical collar and then had us all help log roll Randy and get him on the back board.  Once on the back board he was secured and off to the helicopter.  The helicopter was small and none of us were going to be able to go with Randy but they said they would take his pack.  I think that the guys stuffed it to the gills with rope and equipment.   The helicopter from Grand Junction was busy so they had flown from Page.   The pilot told us that the GPS coordinates that he was given were right on.
 
Once the helicopter left we began to stuff everyone’s things in packs including material left by those who went out before.  Equipment and things were mixed up but we just packed things in fast so we could get out before it got too dark.  I think that it must have been about 4:20 when we started out of the canyon.  There was a general sense of great relief that Randy was on his way to the hospital.  He would be in Price before we reached the cars.
 
A park ranger met us before we reached Lost Spring Canyon.  I walked with him and talked as we walked until things became a little disorganized up front.  Then I took the lead and Jeff talked with the Park Ranger.  Once in the lead I kind of pushed it and didn’t stop until we were at the SAR staging area.  A cold front and storm was coming through and Bego, the SAR field commander at the scene, wanted us back to I-70 ASAP.  By that time it was getting dark fast.  We got into cars and headed up out of there and our guys in their cars were headed down towards us.  At the junction to LS we stopped and got everyone in their various cars and headed up Yellow Cat Road.  The road was a muddy mess and we had to stop at times to clear off the windshields and the headlights so we could see.  Travel was slow but we eventually reached I-70. 
 
We stopped in Green River and showered, cleaned up and ate.
 
We stopped in Price and saw Randy briefly in the recovery room.  He had been taken to the OR to wash out the open fracture.  I went over the x-rays with the orthopedist.  He had three different vertebral body fractures, a sacrum fracture, sacral - pelvic fracture, and bilateral tibial plafond fractures.  While we were there the helicopter arrived to transport him to U of U hospital in SLC.
 
 Randy is in a hospital in SLC doing very well all things considering.  He won't have to have surgery on the back or pelvis or so I'm told right now.  They did one ankle on 23 Jan and will do the other ankle later this week.  
 
 This story isn’t complete. There are 14 others who were there. They each has a different perspective and they each have details that I don’t have. The story really isn’t complete until they each add their portion.
 
 
Thoughts
 
I find sitting and waiting to be a hard thing to do.  Maybe it is my training where we evaluate the patient, do an intervention, instruct the nurse on what to do and move on.  I would have been happy if the group had decided that they really wanted me to run all the way to the car without stopping.  Then I would have a clear goal and a known endpoint.  After Randy was in position with coats under him and the emergency blanket & coats on top of him, gloves and baklava on, and splinted there wasn’t much more we could do for him.  We could talk and ask if he wanted fluid.  We warmed rocks to help, built a windbreak when the sun went behind the rim but it was a lot of waiting.  How long would we have to wait?  Two hours?  Four hours? Eight?  Maybe all night.  We didn’t know and had no way to contact even our group to know what was transpiring in the world outside our little rock.  Once each of the three groups went down canyon a few feet they essentially had left our world and we wondered if they had made it.  Had they been hurt?  Did the cell phone have service early or were they still working to get to the car?  Should we prepare for the night?  What happened to the group that went to explore things on the south side of the canyon?  They were going to return and tell us what they found but it seemed like they had been gone a long time with no word from them.  Did they try to push it and get hurt?  Did they follow instructions and play it safe and stay with the known or did they try to cut the time by taking risks.  Were they lost on some shortcut?  So many things going on but so much of it beyond my control and without my knowledge.  I found it very hard to remain calm and wait for it all to come together.  I felt that Dan was much better at it.  He had more patience and was better at taking care of Randy.  I wanted to be doing something.  That may be part of the reason that I considered moving Randy once the sun went behind the ridge and why we build the stretcher.  Darrin and Scott helped with the stretcher and the fire and everything else.  They were great to have around.  It felt better when Jake and Jeff returned.  They didn’t bring us helpful news but at least it was something. 
 
My experience with climbing is that we usually cede decision making to the better climber.  So if I see a route and say I can’t do that but someone that I know is better than me says that they think they can do it I will say ok I’ll belay you.  I’m not accustomed to questioning their decisions.  Now if someone is a known fool it is a different story or if someone who’s skills I consider inferior to mine decides something I’m not comfortable with, then I’ll question it.  I might question my son’s decision making even though his skills are superior to mine but I don’t question colleagues that have superior skills.  I think that everyone there is questioning themselves about why we let Randy go out there.   We all knew it was dangerous.  We knew that there was no way to adequately protect the area.  Yet not one of us including me said “don’t risk it Randy.  You might be able to make it but the risk is too high.”  I’ll live with that the rest of my life.
 
When I got home my wife decided to take me to task for doing dangerous things.  The implication being that maybe I should give up on these type of activities and live in a padded room where no one could get hurt.  It reminded me of a Star Trek the Next Generation episode.  Piccard’ s heart was failing.  He had been stabbed in the heart while in star fleet academy and in a fight with some bad guys and now years later he was dying because of it.  If only he had chosen differently when he was younger this could have been avoided.  While he is in a coma Q comes to him and offers him a do over.  He can live his life again and always make appropriate decisions.  So it shows his life.  When met with choices he always chose the path with the least risk, the safe choice.  He didn’t have any heart problems but instead of an interesting and exciting star fleet captain he became a dull, boring, pathetic person who worked as an astrophysics lab underling and was of interest to no one.  He came to recognize this and asked for his life back with all its problems.   I’m not giving up canyoneering.  I’m going to learn from my mistakes and be better, safer, and wiser.  I’m also going to help others be better and safer.  This was an avoidable accident.  There were errors in judgment and none of those involved are solely responsible.  Unfortunately, Randy is left to bear the brunt of the pain but we can all learn from it.  It is my sincere hope that those who read this report can gain a little wisdom the easy way and not have to repeat our mistakes.
 
 
Things to consider
 
I’ve talked with an anesthesiologist friend who feels that it would be better to push fluids.  Things like gator aid, tea, water, relatively clear juices.  Not hot chocolate.
 
Warm fluids go a long way to help with body heat.  A jet boil or something similar weighs very little and could be brought along.  Even having a titanium cup would allow use of the fire to warm fluid.
 
If someone is hurt and laying down flat it is hard for them to drink.  The reservoirs with tubes made it easier than trying to drink from a bottle.  A straw may be useful in the emergency kit.
 
As far as the fire starter in the emergency kit.  The regular matches didn’t work.  The special wind proof Colibri emergency lighter made to light in all conditions didn’t.  I’ve been carrying that thing around for years and in its moment of need it failed. The REI fireproof matches worked great!
 
The Sam’s splint came in very handy
 
The narcotics came in handy.

It is crazy to drive out there this time of year. On the way out things are frozen and it goes well. During the day it thaws out and becomes a muddy mess on the road. Now if one would camp and wait until it froze up again—maybe 2 AM maybe 6 AM then it would work. Otherwise there are better places to go this time of year.
 
 
 
 
Thoughts from other members of the group

Mark (Dr. Rosen), thanks for sending this. It was interesting to read it - especially in light of me being in the other group and coming in after the accident. From my inexperienced eyes, I could not have been more impressed with how everything was handled. Obviously as you (we) look back we can say it would have been nice to do it this way or that, but in my opinion that's the entire point of this life. Make the best decision you can with all the information you have. Once the decision is made, make the best of it and try to make the best of it. Once all is done and you can reexamine the situation, use it to gain more knowledge, which can be used in future decisions.

It was great to meet you and I look forward to heading out with you again.

On a funnier note, you mention that when you took the lead you somewhat pushed it. During the trip, you had been explained to me as a guy who frequently pushes the speed and likes to go fast; therefore, when you took the lead, I mentally challenged myself to stay with you and to not fall behind. I haven't had that kind of leg pains and muscle strain since high-school wrestling. It was quite a mental battle for me to keep going and stay with you. I can't tell you how rewarding it was for me to be right with you heading up the final slope. At the top I wanted to lay down and die, but my inner accomplishment required me to continue standing as though I had won a great race. Thanks for the physical and mental challenge.

Darron J Miller
 I thought you all might want to see these. The Helicopter pilot got my email and sent these this morning.

I hope Randy is doing better this morning. He has been and will continue to be in my prayers.

I also wanted to let all of you know how impressed I was and am at your preparedness and willingness to do crazy things for a friend and someone in need. A very bad situation was made not so bad by each of you having prepared for years prior - never knowing what you would and wouldn't need to know and do. You are inspiring to me and though I wish it had been a forgettable weekend (or maybe memorable for a different reason), I will remember it as long as I live and when Randy has recovered, I will allow it to be a memory of inspiration and motivation. I hope that if/when I am in a situation where someone needs me to know or do something, I am as prepared as you were.

Thanks for letting me be a part of your group and I look forward to being out with you again soon.


Darron J Miller

From: share--1405439134476098172@windowslivemail.com [mailto:share--1405439134476098172@windowslivemail.com] On Behalf Of Erik Vognild
Sent: Sunday, January 23, 2011 9:15 AM
To: Darron Miller
Subject: Erik Vognild has shared photos with you




Erik Vognild shared the album moab arches rescue 22211 with you on Windows Live.

Here are some of the pictures from your adventure. You gentlemen were awesome help and it was much appreciated. I hope your friend fares well.
Erik V. (the bus driver)



View album





Spencer’s Group point of view-

When we were trying to find the exit point Mark and Randy were discussing the snow filed and I started to look around for another exit. Nothing was very apparent. Rand is one of our best climbers and when we decided to go out there I felt the same way that Mark does He is a skilled adult and I respect his skills and his decision making capability.

After the fall and Drue Kehl, Ben Neilson, and Myself started the walk. As we made our way out we found the arch that we were going to back track and walk over after we had got out of the canyon. After about 1-1/2 mile we found the canyon to walk up to get to Lost Springs. As we walked we did not talk a lot trying to move as fast as we could. Ben kept checking his cell and could only get about one bar which was not enough to make a call. About ½ mile after we turned right we exited the park. Still not enough cell phone service to make a call. We found the 4X4 trial and stared up that about ¼ of a mile from the top of the canyon at Lost Creek Campground Mike and Paul caught up with us we gave Mike Ben’s cell and Drue went with him with the GPS. Ben Paul and Myself kept going at a slower pace.

Drue and Mike were able to make the call at the top of the canyon. Once we got up there we made the 12.5 mile walk to the cars. Mike and Drue were still ahead of us and kept ahead of us it did not matter because the five of us knew that we had to get to the cars and get back to Lost Creek to get the rest of the group. We just kept going the road had toughed and it was mostly mud and slush which only made things go slower we were not going as fast of a pace as we did before because the call to 911 for Randy had already been made. At 3:30 we heard something like a helicopter and at 3:40 we could see it hovering. That was the best thing that had happened all day. We kept moving knowing we only had one choice to get to the cars for the rest of the group. About 5:15 and we were about ¾ from the cars we heard 4 wheelers and it was the ground SAR. They had enough seats to take us to the cars. We go to the cars and headed back to get the rest of the group.

Something interesting the sheriff that I rode with on the 4 wheeler told me that many times the whole group will stay with the injured person and expect SAR to get everyone out. I informed that we were men and a woman of action.

We got in the cars and headed back to get the rest I ended up driving Jeff’s truck I am sure that he regrets that now. I am very happy that no on e spent the night in the canyon.

Only added this to Mark’s version give the point of view for the group that walked to the car.