By Eric Sherwin
UNTOLD HEROISM: SAN GORGONIO RESCUE
On the morning of December 14, San Bernardino County Sheriff dispatch received a 911 call from
two hikers advising that they were lost near the peak of Mt. San Gorgonio. They had left the previous
morning on a day hike, but became disoriented during their summit attempt. A forecasted storm had
then rolled in and quickly eliminated all hopes the two had of finding their way off the mountain.
The adult male and female initially tried to make a shelter from the sub-zero temperatures by sharing a
sleeping bag, but that proved unsuccessful. Unable to get reliable cell service, they spent the rest of the
night on the move in an attempt to keep warm.
At 8a.m.
clouds were still obscuring the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area, making an
aerial search impossible. Additionally, attempts to plot their cell phone
yielded numerous GPS locations, including downtown Yucaipa. Flight crews
studied maps of the areas and briefed on the most common trails and
likely areas of detection. At 10 a.m., the weather broke, and AirRescue06,
dressed for inclement weather, lifted for the area.
The AR06 crew that day included:
Pilot - Corporal Mike Gilley
Crew Chief - Sergeant Daniel Futscher
Captain - Jack DeJong
Firefighter/Paramedic - Eric Sherwin
Ridge top winds hampered initial search attempts as the helicopter had
to maintain higher speeds than those typically used in search profiles. Text
messages from the reporting party advised that he was dressed in jeans and
a baseball shirt and was seeking shelter in the bushes above the tree line,
which made detection all the more difficult. After repeated requests to move
Air rescue 307 returned to service after a nine month overhaul
including new engines, transmission, and paint scheme
to an open area, the male party was located near the ridgeline approximately
a half-mile west of the peak at just over 11,000 feet elevation.
Due to prevailing winds, hoist operations were ruled out. These same winds
also made landing on the ridge extremely difficult and required multiple
approaches to the landing zone before finally setting down. The outside air
temperature on landing was 0 degrees Fahrenheit—before wind chill.
Sergeant Futscher exited the aircraft and made contact with the male party,
who was sitting in the snow on the slope just below the helicopter. The victim
was escorted up to the aircraft, where he stated that the female party was
located twenty feet behind the helicopter in the open snow.
AR307’s tail proudly displays the American flag hand painted on
the tail by Sheriff’s maintenance staff
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FIREWIRE • Winter 2016
A visual search revealed nothing, so Futscher and Sherwin commenced
a ground search of the area. Descending 100 feet down slope, neither
victim nor tracks were located, so the two rescuers ascended the slope and
expanded the search area, ultimately locating two sets of footprints. While
following the path, the first victim assured DeJong that his partner was due
south of the aircraft, so Sherwin continued to follow the tracks east toward
the peak, while Futscher broke off and began expanding the search area
down the south slope.