Mt.Bachelor skier lost out-of-bounds, rescued by SAR

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Mt. Bachelor skier lost out-of-bounds, rescued by SAR

Lost Mt. Bachelor Skier Found at Nordic Shelter
Used Handheld FRS Radio to Report He'd Gone Past 'Catch Line'
From KTVZ.COM News Sources
February 1, 2012

A Washington state man who mistakenly skied well outside the Mt. Bachelor boundary contacted the ski patrol with his handheld radio Tuesday afternoon, prompting a four-hour search and rescue effort that found
him safe and sound at the AC/DC Nordic ski shelter, officials said.

Shortly before 4 p.m. Deschutes County 911 dispatchers received a call from the Mt. Bachelor Ski Patrol, who advised they had been in contact with an “out of bounds” skier identified as Daniel “Dai” Gorman, 41, of Lynnwood, Wash., said Deputy Mike Biondi, assistant coordinator for the Sheriff’s Search and Rescue unit.

Gorman had contacted the ski patrol using a handheld FRS (Family Radio Service) radio, saying he missed the “catch line” at Mt. Bachelor and believed he was at the AC/DC shelter, well southeast of the mountain,
Biondi said.

Since the shelter is outside the ski resort’s boundary, the ski patrol contacted the sheriff’s office to assist.

Two deputies and 16 SAR volunteers began to search for Gorman using snowmobiles, snowshoes and skis, Biondi said.

Gorman was found at the shelter around 8 p.m., the deputy said. He was unhurt, so he was provided snowshoes and walked to a snowmobile trail, where he was picked up and taken by snowmobile to the Edison
Sno-Park, Biondi said.

Deputies later learned Gorman had been skiing with friends and was told to continue skiing to the southeast, which took him more than 1 ½ miles past the “catch line,” Biondi said.

He then made his way to the Edison Butte Nordic skiing area, where he was able to contact the ski patrol with his radio. They directed him to the shelter and called 911.
Copyright 2012 KTVZ. All rights reserved.

Selected Comments from readers:
bendreader1970
Ouch! That is going to be expensive, since rescue starts at $1000/hour.

DurkaDurka911
Or not.... SARS was called out, bachelor did not rescue.

CLINT_FLICKER
It'd be nice if the image showed the distance from Mt Bachelor to AC/DC

Barney Lerten, Content Director/KTVZ.COM Moderator
Well it does have a '5 mi. from Mt. Bachelor' in upper right, not sure what that's precisely from, Edison Butte?
in reply to CLINT_FLICKER

crazymebut
So, if he was at the shelter.... why didn't they go there first and call SAR if he was not. Sometimes they jump on the wagon when then need to leave it in the barn.

neumantheneuman
I am inclined to agree, 16 SAR folks on 3 modes of transpo? how about just heading out where he thought he was with a few folks. the guy was able to walk out with snowshoes. perhaps they could have just guided
him to the pkg lot and he could have skied or walked out. not being disrespectful but these rescues seem a bit overblown.
in reply to crazymebut

Robert_Speik
Here are some facts reported by sources:1. Mr. Gorman did not 'contact the Ski Patrol with his FRS radio', he contacted his friend who was listening on their selected FRS radio Channel, one of several channels. The friend then talked personally to the Ski Patrol and the rescue was initiated. The Mt. Bachelor Ski Patrol does not monitor FRS radio channels.
2. Ski Patrollers found Mr. Gorman's tracks in the heavy new snow. He had crossed the 'catch line' and the 'rapid response road' that circles the mountain, and continued down-hill until he found trails leading ultimately to the AC/DC Nordic shelter (he confirmed this location from a sign) . Minimal Mt. Bachelor resources were expended, so Mr. Gorman may not be billed for the" actual costs of the search". Mt Bachelor does charge for searches which may actually cost up to $1,000 per hour.
3. Since he was well below the Mt. Bachelor ski area, Deschutes County Search and Rescue was called by the Ski Patrol. The snowmobile trails had not been groomed after many feet of snow. They did not reach Mr. Gorman until about 8 pm that very cold evening.

When you go 'out of bounds', you cross to the 'backcountry'. We note from the news report that Mr. Gorman used a "walky-talky" FRS Radio to call his friend for help. The FRS radio brought help that day but an ordinary cell phone would have been better.

http://www.ktvz.com/news/30349596/detail.html
.

What can be learned from this interesting incident?

Here are some facts reported by sources:
1. Mr. Gorman did not 'contact the Ski Patrol with his FRS radio', he contacted his friend who was listening on their selected FRS radio Channel, one of several channels. The friend then talked personally to the Ski Patrol and the rescue was initiated. The Mt. Bachelor Ski Patrol does not monitor FRS radio channels.

2. Ski Patrollers found Mr. Gorman's tracks in the heavy new snow. He had crossed the 'catch line' and the 'rapid response road' that circles the mountain, and continued down-hill until he found trails leading ultimately to the AC/DC Nordic shelter (he confirmed this location from a sign) . Minimal Mt. Bachelor resources were expended, so Mr. Gorman may not be billed for the" actual costs of the search". Mt Bachelor does charge for searches which may easily cost up to $1,000 per hour.

3. Since he was well below the Mt. Bachelor ski area, Deschutes County Search and Rescue was called by the Ski Patrol. The snowmobile trails had not been groomed after many feet of snow. They did not reach Mr. Gorman until about 8 pm that very cold evening.

When you go 'out of bounds', you cross to the 'backcountry'. We note from the news report that Mr. Gorman used a "walky-talky" FRS Radio to call his friend for help. The FRS radio brought help that day but an ordinary cell phone would have been better. Here is why:

'There is no denying the sense of cell'
By Robert Speik
This article was Commissioned by The Mountaineers, (a Club of 10,500 people, "formed to enrich the community of the Pacific North West") and Published on the front page of their June 2009 issue of their monthly magazine.

Currently, the case is been made for the inclusion of the common digital cell phone as Essential backcountry safety gear because of such incidents as those in Oregon and Maple Valley. In the mountaineering world, the controversy over possible excessive use of cell phones to trigger expensive search and rescue missions still simmers. But the fact is that climbing rescues actually comprise a minor percentage of rescue responses. According to Oregon State records, climbing accounts for just 3.4 percent of all rescues—slightly higher than mushroom harvesting—while hiking accounts for 13.8 percent. Vehicles, including ATVs and snowmobiles, top the list at 20.5 percent.

The basic responsibilities of backcountry travelers include the designation of a responsible person to call 911 if the traveler does not return by a specific time. Searchers will want to know the details of the car, the planned trailhead, the traveler’s proposed route or routes from the trailhead, and when other participants are involved, their preparations and experience as well. Searchers will ask for all of their cell phone numbers.

Backcountry rescue is not initiated until a request is made through a call to 911. When backcountry travelers become stranded due to illness or injury, or if they become lost and are forced to stay overnight, it may be better to call for help at that time, rather than waiting for the designated person to call 911 hours or days later.

This is what makes a cell phone most valuable. The common digital phone allows a stranded backcountry traveler to provide Rescuers with their specific coordinates using the traveler’s topo map and GPS receiver, and the details of their problem, their condition, their plans and more. This clearly assists the search and rescue effort.

Personally, I have an “emergency cell phone plan.” My regular three ounce digital cell phone was “free” and my simple service costs just $10 per month, including some free minutes and just pennies for possible additional minutes. I have listed the cell numbers of my responsible person, my family, friends and companions and the local land managers.

Most of my companions have common digital cell phones and they carry them shut off in their packs to provide back-up cell phone battery power. We may check the connection quality from time to time as we hike so that we have a sense of where we can connect to one or more cell towers.

Cell phone buyers should note that few units contain an actual internal GPS receiver that tracks Department of Defense satellites. Even expensive cell phone plans that give you turn-by-turn highway directions use cell tower “triangulation” and not GPS generated coordinates, according to my provider.

Other communication options:
A $35 pair of walkie-talkie (FRS) radios may help keep your group together and may help contact nearby searchers, but someone within range of a few miles must be listening on your Channel, selected from several options. Not a good option.

My wife and I are FCC licensed General class amateur radio operators. My handheld amateur radio is pretty heavy and it eats special batteries. There are newer options.

I have a friend who rents an expensive satellite phone for his really big trips.

A personal locator beacon (PLB) only calls to initiate an actual rescue and at $600 and up, it is costly. It depends on the dedicated international rescue COSPAS-SARSAT nine satellite system to send out a distress signal but unlike other options, it cannot be lawfully field tested.

In the absence of known cell tower coverage, I use the technology of the new “SPOT Personal Satellite Messenger” (now SPOT-2) -costing about $149 plus a $100 annual unlimited satellite phone connection charge. Two replaceable Lithium AA batteries from any store, power this new device. SPOT satellite communications can be tested unlimited times in all your usual personal travel locations, sending pre-set text messages with your lat-lon coordinates to family and to friends. If these free messages get through, so would a serious request to 911.

Your personal cell phone call to 911, coupled with USGS topo map, adjusted baseplate compass, a basic GPS and some simple skills, can provide rescuers with your exact coordinates and your personal description of the problem, the current conditions, your plan of action and much more. Your cell phone could take the “search” out of search and rescue.

Bottom line: Add your common digital cell phone to your Essential Systems when traveling or climbing in the backcountry.
Copyright©, 2009-2012 by Robert Speik. All Rights Reserved.

A suggested minimum standard news advisory for all backcountry travelers

"We would like to take this opportunity to ask our visitors to the backcountry of 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 or Gatorade, a USGS 1:24,000 topo map and declination adjustable base plate compass and optional inexpensive GPS and the skills to use them, and a fully charged ordinary cell phone. Carry the traditional personal "Ten Essentials Systems" in a 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. Carry a simple cell phone and/or a SPOT-2 Satellite Communicator to call for help when the problem first appears. If you become lost or stranded, mark your location and stay still or move around your marked location to stay warm. Do not try to find your way until you are exhausted, or worse yet - wet. Wait for rescuers.

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