Runner survives fall on ice with cell phone call

TRADITIONAL MOUNTAINEERING ™
www.TraditionalMountaineering.org ™ and also www.AlpineMountaineering.org ™

TraditionalMountaineering Logo - representing the shared
companionship of the Climb ™

Search this site!
Read more:

Trail runner survives fall on ice with cell phone call

Survival
By Leon Pantenburg
for the Bulletin
Published on October 24, 2007

In February, a routine run near Bend turned into a desperate fight for survival.

Karen Johnson, 50, of bend, runs in the Phil's Trail area four miles west of Mount Washington Drive several times a week. Early in the morning on February 1, Johnson took off on a routine training session.

It was cold and windy, and Johnson wore winter running clothes that included synthetic running tights and top, gloves and a sweatshirt. A windbreaker went over everything and for gear, she carried a water bottle, a whistle, a charged cell phone, a pair of spiked ice grip devices that fit over running shoes and three chemical hand warmers in her fanny pack.

As the sun was coming up, Johnson was "gingerly picking my way along a trail - not even running" when she hit a piece of black ice, slipped and fell.

"It felt like someone pulled the rug out from under me," she recalled. " I heard and felt both bones in my leg break as I hit the ground. The pain was excruciating."

Johnson couldn't move, sprawled on the ice. She got her cell phone out of her fanny pack and dialed for help. No coverage.

SEARCH AND RESCUE
In 2006, according to the Oregon Management Agency, 996 search and rescue missions were completed in the state. Some situations end up being relatively minor. But in other cases, people die.

On November 9, 2001, Pennsylvanian Danny Curran, 24, disappeared on a backpacking trip while attempting to summit Broken Top. Despite intensive searches, his remains were not found until July 31, 2002. To date, no traces have been found of Corwin Osbourne, 45, of Bellevue, Washington, who disappeared somewhere in the Three Sisters Wilderness, presumably near North Sister, on June 25, 2001.

Already this month, Central Oregon search and rescue crews have been busy. On Thursday, an 67 year old hunter spent the night in his truck after getting stuck in the national forest south of Tumalo Falls. And on October 7, a hunter spent the night in the woods outside of Sisters after losing his way on an ATV. Both men survived.

"Probably the most common reason people get in trouble os that they underestimate the potential of danger," said Sgt. Marvin Combs, of Deschutes County Search and Rescue. "They head out for a quick sightseeing trip, like the characters on
'Gilligan's Island', and get into trouble.

In 2006, Deschutes County Search and Rescue responded to 137 wilderness rescues. In the Central Oregon area, search and rescue duties can range from answering cell phone calls from confused hikers to mounting full blown rescue missions to working on unresolved missing person cases. The largest number of calls so far this year, 11, occurred at the height of the summer tourist season in July, Combs said, but county statistics over time show more calls occur on a monthly average during the winter.

"Around here, search and rescue goes year round,' Combs said. "As Central Oregon's population and popularity with tourists increases, there will absolutely be more calls."

And those calls will not necessarily come from people stranded deep within the wilderness.

They may, in fact, be quite close to home.

CALLING FOR HELP
After the initial failed connection, Johnson dialed the number of her fiancé, Ken Rose, and waved her cell phone above her head. This time Johnson got through.

Rose knew Johnson's winter routine and route, and approximately where she would be. He had also just joined the Deschutes County Search and Rescue and had his gear ready. Luckily, a friend, Randy Clumbel, had stopped by on his way to work, so the two headed out together.

"I dialed Ken rather than 911 because he would know what to do," Johnson said. "I might only have time for a few words."

"I told him I fell, and thought that I had broken my leg, and that I was below the chicken and above the rock," she said, referring to a roundabout in the Phil's Trail complex with a copy of the Phoenix Rising roundabout art at the intersection of Galveston avenue and 14th street in Bend.

While Rose and Clumbel hurried to the Phil's Trail, Rose contacted search and rescue directly. He gave them the accident location, and told them what he knew about the situation and requested help.

In the meantime, Johnson's situation had gotten increasingly worse. She had used up two of the hand warmers while running, so Johnson took the last one, activated it and put it inside her top, next to the skin on her chest.

"It was 21 degrees, I was shaking uncontrollably, couldn't move and was laying on ice," she said. "I screamed out in pain a couple of times, blew on the whistle and called for help. Apparently, I was the only one out there."

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS
Until the beginning of September, Combs was the only paid employee of the county's search and rescue program. The number of paid staff recently rose to four, Combs said, because of Central Oregon's increasing needs.

Combs coordinates all rescue efforts. When a call comes in, Combs' first act is to assess the situation and decide the appropriate response. If a full-blown rescue effort is needed, he calls in volunteers.

"We're not like the fire department - we don't have people waiting around, or on call, to go on missions, and we can't always respond immediately," Combs said. "Sometimes the volunteers have to get off work, or they might have to come from as far as La Pine or Redmond."

Once the volunteers assemble, a briefing must be done, he said, and equipment issued before the rescuers can head out. Response time depends on weather conditions, location of the situation, what gear needs to be taken along and how quickly everything can come together.

Rose and Clumbel arrived at the accident scene about 30 minutes after Johnson's call. Johnson's lips were blue, and she appeared to be past the first stages of hypothermia, Rose said. She was suffering intensely from the broken leg. Clumbel immediately started gathering wood and quickly built a roaring bonfire next to Johnson, while Rose covered her with a sleeping bag and administered first aid.

"It was a tossup which was more serious - the hypothermia or the leg," Rose said. "She was on ice, but one of the broken bones was pushing against the skin, and if we moved her, it might have bled and been worse."

Despite being covered with sleeping bags and next to the fire, Johnson said she was "so far gone, I don't know if I even felt it."

"I was completely lucid, but I just wanted to get out of the cold," Johnson said. "If Ken and Randy hadn't gotten there when they did, I don't know if I would have lasted until help arrived."

About an hour after Rose and Clumbel arrived, a search and rescue team with a gurney arrived.

They carried her out a half-mile to a waiting ambulance, which transported Johnson to St. Charles Medical Center-Bend.

Johnson's ordeal ended relatively quickly because she did virtually everything right. She was also really, really lucky.

"Even if you're just out for the day, or a quick outing, you can step in a hole or twist your ankle or something, and you'll be stuck for a long time," Combs said. "Don't go out by yourself, tell someone where you're going, when you'll be back, and then contact them when you return."

Emergency gear is another necessity, he said, and Johnson's survival resulted from having what she needed. Because someone knew where she would be,Combs said, locating Johnson didn't waste any precious time. The other contributing factor to her survival was that she remained calm and didn't panic.

"She was prepared and went out with the right equipment," Combs said, "and that was a blessing for her and for us."

But taking survival equipment along is not a cure-all. Local mountaineering expert Bob Speik claims survival kits can be dangerous. Having a kit along is not going to do much good if you don't know how to use it, he said.

"Part of a winter survival kit must be extra clothing," Speik says. "Even if you put a personalized kit together, that doesn't mean you can handle every emergency. Your kit may give you a false sense of security."

Johnson made a full recovery from her injury. A subsequent bone density test rated Johnson's bones equivalent to those of a 20 year-old woman.

On May 1, she returned to Phil's Trail and walked 100 yards on crutches. Today, fully prepared with her usual survival gear, Johnson runs regularly in that area.

She has also become somewhat of a preparedness evangelist - Johnson tells her story whenever possible in the hope that people will learn from her experience.

"We see people out cross country skiing miles into the backcountry and they don't have anything with them. It is so dangerous," Johnson said. "It's pretty scary to get in as much trouble as I did only a few miles from town. I easily could have died."

The Bulletin reports in depth. Subscribe!

What can be learned from this event?

Writer Leon Pantenburg has done a great job in describing this accident. We can make a few observations as follows:

Note that Johnson was rescued after placing a cell phone call to her fiancé. Had she not been able to connect to a cell phone tower (she held the phone above her body as she lay in agony on the ice), the outcome may have been tragic. Always take your common digital cell phone, charged up, and leave it on so that you can call for help and also be tracked by the phone company by triangulation from the last cell tower "pings".

While her fiancé knew where she was running that morning, she was able to call for help when she was injured, and not wait until she was missed.

A new option is the SPOT Satellite Messenger, which for $149.00 can communicate to friends and family or to the Sherriff's Search and Rescue folks, without need for cell phone tower coverage.

Realize the real risks of hiking or trail running alone.

She was not wearing her instep crampons. This is a common error, waiting until it is dangerous to rope up, put on crampons, get the ice axe off the pack, etc.

Lightly dressed as she was, she was slipping quickly into the first stage of hypothermia, uncontrollable shivering. Instead of a fanny pack, she might have carried a small cloth day pack with an additional pound of light clothing insulation such as a down vest and hood. She could have carried a 6 ounce pad for insulation from the ice. Personally, I carry a small supply of prescription Vicodin. Less pain might have provided an opportunity to get off the black ice.

Under most winter conditions, it is almost impossible to start a fire for warmth
--Robert Speik, Webmeister

A suggested minimum standard media advisory for all backcountry travelers

"We would like to take this opportunity to ask our visitors to the backcountry of Eastern Oregon to plan for the unexpected. Each person should dress for the forecast weather and take minimum extra clothing protection from a drop in temperature and possible rain or snow storm or an unexpected cold wet night out, insulation from the wet ground or snow, high carbohydrate snacks, two quarts of water, a map and compass and optional inexpensive GPS and the skills to use them, and a charged cell phone turned on and perhaps an inexpensive walkie-talkie radio to contact companions. Consider carrying a SPOT Personal Locator Beacon costing $149.00. Carry the traditional personal "Ten Essential Systems" in a light weight day pack sized for the season and the forecast weather.

Visitors are reminded to tell a Responsible Person where they are going, where they plan to park, when they will be back and to make sure that person understands that they are relied upon to call 911 at a certain time if the backcountry traveler has not returned"

THE MISSION of TraditionalMountaineering.org

"To provide information and instruction about world-wide basic to advanced alpine mountain climbing safety skills and gear, on and off trail hiking, scrambling and light and fast Leave No Trace backpacking techniques based on the foundation of an appreciation for the Stewardship of the Land, all illustrated through photographs and accounts of actual shared mountaineering adventures."

TraditionalMountaineering is founded on the premise that "He who knows naught, knows not that he knows naught", that exploring the hills and summitting peaks have dangers that are hidden to the un-informed and that these inherent risks can be in part, identified and mitigated by mentoring: information, training, wonderful gear, and knowledge gained through the experiences of others.

The value of TraditionalMountaineering to our Friends and Subscribers is the selectivity of the information we provide, and its relevance to introducing folks to informed hiking on the trail, exploring off the trail, mountain travel and Leave-no-Trace light-weight bivy and backpacking, technical travel over steep snow, rock and ice, technical glacier travel and a little technical rock climbing on the way to the summit. Whatever your capabilities and interests, there is a place for everyone in traditional alpine mountaineering.

WARNING - *DISCLAIMER!*
Mountain climbing has inherent dangers that can, only in part, be mitigated

ABOUT ALPINE MOUNTAINEERING
The Sport of Alpine Mountaineering
Climbing Together
Following the Leader
The Mountaineers' Rope
Basic Responsibilities
The Ten Essential Systems
Our Mission

THE ESSENTIAL PAPERWORK
Suggested Leader Guidelines    Suggested information you should receive from your organized Leaders
Sign-in Agreements, Waivers and Prospectus     This pdf form will need to be signed by you at the trail head
Sample Prospectus    Make sure every leader tells you what the group is going to do; print a copy for your "responsible person"
Participant Information Form    This pdf form can be printed and mailed or handed to the Leader if requested or required
Emergency and Incident Report Form    Copy and print this form. Carry two copies with your Essentials
Participant and Group First Aid Kit    Print this form. Make up your own first aid essentials (kits)

ESSENTIAL PERSONAL CLOTHING AND GEAR
Why is the GSM digital cell phone best for backcountry and mountaineering?
What does Steve House wear for light and fast climbing?
What clothing do you wear for Light and Fast winter mountaineering?
What do you carry in your winter day pack? Photos?
Which digital camera do you use in the mountains?
What about Boots and Shoes?

YOUR ESSENTIAL DAY PACKS
What are the new Ten Essential Systems?
What does experience tell us about Light and Fast climbing?
What is the best traditional alpine mountaineering summit pack?
What is Light and Fast alpine climbing?
What do you carry in your day pack?    Photos?
What do you carry in your winter day pack?     Photos?
Why are "Emergency Kits" dangerous?
What should I know about "space blankets"?
Leave no Trace with Restop bags
Mountaineering blue bag, WAG bag and Restop bag waste solutions in 1985
Where can I get a personal and a group first aid kit?    Photos?

YOUR LITE AND FAST BACKPACK
Which light backpack do you use for winter and summer?    Analysis   pdf
What would you carry in your backpack to climb Shasta or Adams?
Leave no Trace with Restop bags
Mountaineering blue bag, WAG bag and Restop bag waste solutions in 1985
What is the best traditional alpine mountaineering summit pack?
Photos of lite gear packed for a multi day approach to spring and summer summits
Backpack lite gear list for spring and summer alpine mountaineering    4 pdf pages

CARBORATION AND HYDRATION
Is running the Western States 100 part of "traditional mountaineering"?
What's wrong with GORP? Answers to the quiz!
Why do I need to count carbohydrate calories?
What should I know about having a big freeze-dried dinner?
What about carbo-ration and fluid replacement during traditional alpine climbing? 4 pages in pdf
What should I eat before a day of aerobic climbing?

REAL SURVIVAL STRATEGIES
Why is the GSM digital cell phone best for backcountry and mountaineering?
FREE Clinic on Real Survival Strategies and Staying Found with Map, Compass and GPS together
What do you carry in your winter day and summit pack?
Why are "Snow Caves" dangerous?
Why are "Space Blankets" dangerous?
Why are "Emergency Kits" dangerous?
How can you avoid Hypothermia?
Missing climbers on Mount Hood, one dies of exposure, two believed killed in fall
Missing California family found, dad dies from exposure and hypothermia
Missing man survives two weeks trapped in snow-covered car
Missing snowmobile riders found, Roger Rouse dies from hypothermia
Olympic Champion Rulon Gardner lost on snowmobile!
Lost Olympic hockey player looses feet to cold injury
Expert skier lost five days near resort in North Cascades without map, compass, gps or cell phone
Mount Hood - The Episcopal School Tragedy
Mount Hood - experienced climbers rescued from snow cave
How can you learn the skills of snow camping? Prospectus

BACKCOUNTRY NAVIGATION
Topographic maps of the backcountry work with your compass and GPS
Why is the GSM digital cell phone best for backcountry travel and mountaineering?
What is a PLB?
What is the best GPS for mountaineering and backcountry travel?
What is the best Compass for mountaineering and backcountry travel?
How accurate is the inexpensive hand-held GPS today?
What are some good Central Oregon Geocaches?
What is the Public Land Survey Grid? pdf
What is the UTM Grid? six pdf pages
How do you use your map, compass and GPS together, in a nut shell?
How can I learn to use my map, compass and GPS?
Do you have map, compass and GPS seminar notes? six pdf pages

ALPINE CLIMBING ON SNOW AND ICE
Winter mountaineering hazards - streams and lakes
Is long distance backpacking part of "traditional mountaineering"?
How long is the traditional alpine mountaineering ice axe?
What about climbing Mt. Hood?
What is a good personal description of the south side route on Mount Hood?
What should I know about travel over hard snow and ice?
How can I learn to self belay and ice axe arrest? 6 pdf pages
What should I know about snow caves?
What should I know about climbing Aconcagua?

AVALANCHE AVOIDANCE
Young Bend man dies in back county avalanche
What is an avalanche cord?
Avalanche training courses - understanding avalanche risk
How is avalanche risk described and rated by the professionals? pdf table
How can I avoid dying in an avalanche?
Known avalanche slopes near Bend, OR?
Can I avoid avalanche risk with good gear and seminars? pdf file

SNOWSHOES AND CRAMPONS
Why do you like GAB crampons for traditional mountaineering?
What should I know about the new snowshoe trails
What are technical snowshoes?
Which crampons are the best?
What about Boots and Shoes?

TECHNICAL MOUNTAINEERING
What is the best traditional alpine mountaineering summit pack?
What is the best belay | rappel | autoblock device for traditional alpine mountaineering?
What gear do you normally rack on your traditional alpine mountaineering harness? Photos?
What is the best traditional alpine mountaineering seat harness? Photos?
Can I use a Sharpie Pen for Marking the Middle of the Climbing Rope?
What are the highest peaks in Oregon? Alphabetically?