Man rescued from Snow Lake area
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN A man rescued from the Snow Lake area was extracted by Two Bear Air and met with Boundary Ambulance at the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge.
Photo by SANDY STEINHAGEN Rescuers carried the man from his location to where they met the helicopter.
Photo by SANDY STEINHAGEN Two Bear Air arrives to pick up the man in need of medical attention.
Photo by MANDI BATEMAN North Bench Fire set up a landing zone in the Kootenai Nation Wildlife Refure for Two Bear Air.
BONNERS FERRY — Rescuers set out on July 27, after receiving a call around 1 p.m. that a subject with medical issues was in need of help near Snow Creek. The man was unable to hike out on his own and members of Boundary Search and Dive Rescue Team, Boundary Ambulance, U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement, and South Boundary Fire Protection District all responded.
“The twist to this call was the patient was approximately four miles up Snow Lake Trail, which is nine miles up from the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge,” said South Boundary Fire Chief Tony Rohrwasser. “Members of Boundary Ambulance hiked in to the patient despite weather reports of lightning and very large hail.”
According to Rohrwasser, Search and Rescue and South Boundary Fire members were the next to head up with a stokes to carry out the patient, as well as other supplies that may be needed.
The man was located about a quarter of a mile from Snow Lake and the decision was made to call for helicopter extraction, rather than to carry him several miles to the trail head. Two Bear Air of Whitefish, Mont., was contacted and they gave the rescuers an estimated time of arrival, as they had rescues ahead of them. This gave the team time to hike to a clearing where the helicopter was able to rendezvous with them and successfully lift the man out.
“Waiting was worth it,” said Rohrwasser, “and once the patient was lifted out and safely landed by North Bench Fire and met by another Medic unit, the rescuers were all out just as darkness was setting in. Without Two Bear Air and good decision making on behalf of the SAR leader and the Medic, we would have come in long after dark, making it a much more dangerous hike carrying the patient over the rough terrain.”
“Great teamwork on behalf of all of the agencies and members involved,” said Rohrwasser.
After retrieving the man, they met with another team from Boundary Ambulance at the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge. North Bench Fire was on hand to close down the road and create a safe landing zone. The transfer happened quickly and the man was taken to the hospital around 6 p.m.
Hall Mountain Volunteer Firefighter Marty Steinhagen helped to carry the man out.
“It was an amazing experience to join other county agencies and work through adversity to achieve a common goal,” he said.
“It was a good call,” said Boundary Search and Dive Rescue Team Vice-Commander Tony Jeppesen. “Everything went as best as it could.”