August 3, 2015
Search Area View
The team received a call at 0600 hours requesting assistance for two separate individuals in the Blue Lake and Dingleberry Lake area of Sabrina Basin. Each had become separated from their parties while on day hikes away from camp, one intentionally and one unintentionally.
The first missing person, a 57 year old male, was found in the dark the night before by another party camping in the area. Two backpackers assisted the individual in finding his camp and hiked with him to the camp. In the morning, the subject hiked out early to try to alert the team that all was well. While the team was hiking in for the search, they ran into several members of the party that alerted the team that the subject was located and well.
The second missing person, a 73 year old female, had gone out on a day hike with her group and decided to turn around and return to camp. The others in the group confirmed with her that she knew where to go and they continued up the trail. Upon returning to camp later in the day they found out that she had never made it back to camp. The group began a search near camp and later sent two people out to alert search and rescue.
Team Members watching the helicopter extraction
Three team members started up the trail at apx 0815 and found the remained of the missing person’s party at their campsite in the Emerald Lakes. After obtaining more information, they began a hasty search of the point last seen and areas off of the trail where it appeared likely that someone could lose the trail. The team also requested helicopter assistance. H-80 arrived early afternoon and the ground searchers directed them to search the drainage between Dingleberry Lake and Lake Sabrina. H-80 quickly located the subject, who was alert and oriented and waving her blue poncho to attract the attention of the helicopter. The patient had spent the night out and had taken several falls in her descent of the drainage from Dingleberry to Sabrina. Though she was mobile when picked up and in good spirits, doctors found significant injuries and she was flown to a trauma center.