Today we went to the rocky foothills of the Sandia mountains for a realistic mountain rescue scenario. As a member of Strike Team 2, I was one of the first on the scene. While the technical strike team rappelled up to where one "patient" lay halfway up a rock wall, my team of two treated someone else at a lower level. We were waiting for the support team with more supplies when things went downhill - fast.
First, our patient, who was hypoglycemic, went unconscious. Then we became aware of 1, 2, 3, and finally 4 more patients higher up on the rocks. Very quickly, th rescue effort became a mass casualty situation. We climbed up and found someone who had been hit by falling rocks and had to be extricate on a backboard, tied into a basket. It took eight of us and over an hour to carry the patient down over the rocks and ice and onto level ground. It was a very educational and challenging experience.
After a long morning, Steve and I went for a run around UNM and its golf course. The group met for drinks at a microbrewery and we wound up eating fajitas at the home of Micha, one of the program coordinators.
1 comment:
The first patient was lower down. The second was higher up!
We usually start at 8am and are done by 4. This week, we will be backpacking for 5 days in total so those days will be much longer.
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