From the Ridgecrest Daily Independent:

CLMRG assists in Lone Pine rescue

By John V. Ciani

jciani@ridgecrestca.com

Members of the China Lake Mountain Rescue Group participated in a joint overnight rescue operation with Inyo Coun­ty Search and Rescue May 20-21.

Team Leader Dan Bishop said CLMRG re­sponded to a request from Inyo County to as­sist in rescuing a fallen climber on the north ridge of Lone Pine Peak near Mount Whitney. "The climber had fallen approximately 50 feet on technical terrain at the 11,600-foot el­evation. Inyo and CLMRG teams were air lift­ed via helicopter near the 12,944-foot sum­mit," he said in an e-mail.

He said the team performed multiple rap­pels in the dark in order to reach the victim around 3 a.m. The victim, Pratyush Tiwary of Pasadena, had suffered injuries to his back, had a fracture in his arm and an open frac­ture to his leg.

"The SAR team treated, stabilized and prepared him for helicopter extraction at sun­rise," Bishop said.

He said the California Highway Patrol helicopter returned the next morning with a litter and other gear.

"Tiwary was placed in the litter and hoist­ed about 30 feet to the hovering helicopter, then flown — still dangling from the hoist — to Southern Inyo Hospital in Lone Pine for
immediate treatment and subsequent transport," Bish­op said.

According to an Inyo County Sheriff 's Office press release, the sheriff 's office re­ceived a cell-phone call for help at approximately 1:30 p.m.

Tiwary was treated at Lone Pine Hospital and transferred to an advanced medical-care unit, and rescuers assisted the remaining members of his party off Lone Pine Peak.

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