Two individuals have crews from Nye County’s Search and Rescue team, along with Inyo County officials, to thank after a routine hiking excursion on Eagle Mountain did not go as planned.
As stated in a Nye County Sheriff’s Office video news release, the two individuals had climbed near the top of the mountain, overlooking Amargosa Valley, where one had fallen and suffered multiple injuries.
“Several vehicles and search and rescue members responded to Eagle Mountain, to the reported coordinates,” the release noted. “The hiker’s cell phone was dead and service was extremely limited. A helicopter evacuation was requested through San Bernardino Highway Patrol.”
Since the severity of the hiker’s injuries was unknown at the time, search and rescue crews embarked on a hike up to the injured person, under rocky, dark and very cold conditions.
“The climb required the search and rescue members to be on hands and feet,” the release stated. “After three hours of climbing, search and rescue members reached the injured hiker at 1 a.m. It had been about 12 hours since his fall, and the helicopter from San Bernardino could not arrive until 7 a.m.”
As a result, the release went on to state that the search and rescue crews actually stayed with the hikers, where they covered them with blankets, jackets, and attempted to sleep on a bed of rocks, where overnight temperatures dipped into the high 20’s at the 3,000 foot level of the peak.
“At approximately 9 a.m. the helicopter from San Bernardino arrived to transport the hikers to Las Vegas for treatment of their injuries,” according to the release. “The coordinated effort between Nye County Sheriff’s Office search and rescue crews, Inyo County Sheriff’s Office, and the San Bernardino Highway Patrol ultimately saved the hikers’ lives.”
Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes