Marin County teen rescuers help save injured and underdressed Mount Shasta climber
MOUNT SHASTA, Calif. (KGO) -- A severely injured climber near the summit of Mount Shasta was rescued earlier this week with the help of the Marin County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue team, including three 17-year-old volunteers who took part in the operation.
The climber was injured Sunday during his descent. Rescue efforts were delayed Monday because of rough conditions, and the team returned Tuesday to attempt the rescue.
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Among those responding was 17-year-old Jayne Wolk, who described the difficult conditions on the mountain.
"I'm 17 years old. This was definitely one of the more challenging things I've ever done. it was really difficult terrain and really high winds and again we're at sea level so it was difficult having to go up so much altitude so quickly," Wolk said.
Wolk was one of three 17-year-olds involved in the rescue operation. The teenagers had completed hundreds of hours of training, according to the team.
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Rescuers said climbing rangers helped keep the injured man alive overnight until the search and rescue team's arrival.
"We needed to get more hypothermia management on him in order to move him from that safe spot. So things like HPMK, it's like a full-body handwarmer that we stick him in. And then splinted him up and got him all packaged and ready to go down," rescuer Nick Slanec said.
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The team moved the man, who was in dire condition, down the mountain and out of the wind. A California Highway Patrol helicopter was then able to land and transport him to a hospital.
Crews said the man was from Florida and wasn't equipped for overnight conditions, only wearing a hoodie and sweatpants.
Crews said the man was from Florida and wasn't dressed for the conditions -- only wearing a hoodie and sweatpants.
