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Recent Rescue for Altitude Sickness
#27529 09/06/12 04:50 PM
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KevinR Offline OP
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The following was in today's (9/6/2012) Ridgecrest Daily Independent. There's a photo in the picture, which the description implies.

A rescuer sits in a helicopter during training for night rescues. The Kern County Fire Department received a request for helicopter rescue support from the Tulare County Sheriff's Office at approx 6:30 PM. The patient was located in the Maggie Lakes area, approximately 25 miles NE of Porterville at an elevation above 6000'. The patient was reĀ­ported as a 14 year old male suffering from altitude sickness, accompanied by his father. The initial rescue request came from a hiker who happened upon the father and son while hiking off the mountain. It took the hiker nine hours to reach cell service and notify emergency services. Helicopter 408 and rescue crew departed Keene Helibase and arrived in the Maggie Lakes area at 7:35 p.m. The sun was just setting and the crew used their night vision goggles (NVGs) to assist in locating the victim, just North of Maggie Lakes at 8700' elevation. The victim actually turned out to be the 41 year old father; he was hoisted into the helicopter and flown to a ground ambulance at Porterville airĀ­port. The Helicopter 408 Rescuer remained with the 14 year old son until H-408 returned and picked them both up from Maggie Lakes and delivered the boy to a Tulare County Sheriff's Deputy at Porterville airport.

Re: Recent Rescue for Altitude Sickness
KevinR #27531 09/06/12 04:52 PM
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Of all the things that could go wrong in the back country... something happening to me while I was out with my kids or my scouts, leaving them stranded, has always been my largest concern.

Re: Recent Rescue for Altitude Sickness
KevinR #27532 09/06/12 08:52 PM
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This seems odd.

I know Maggie Lakes, been there many times. It's a 10 mile hike in, but not a whole lot of elevation gain, say 2k.

They were at 8800 or so. Pretty low for disabling AMS.

Re: Recent Rescue for Altitude Sickness
Ken #27543 09/07/12 09:04 AM
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Ken,

I've had mild AMS at 7,000' and major at Whitney Portal on one occasion. This does not surprise me.

Re: Recent Rescue for Altitude Sickness
wbtravis #27545 09/07/12 09:35 AM
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Oh, I can understand a person having symptoms, but there is a rather long drive of gradual ascent of a couple hours to the trailhead, then 10 miles of gradual ascent on the trail. So there would seem to be a generous amount of time for acclimatization.

I could see a person getting mild symptoms, but disabling requiring evac seems unusual to me. But variation is what we humans experience!

Re: Recent Rescue for Altitude Sickness
Ken #27547 09/07/12 10:58 AM
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Originally Posted By: Ken
I could see a person getting mild symptoms, but disabling requiring evac seems unusual to me. But variation is what we humans experience!


exactly.

Those 10 miles were not enough time for him - he hit the wall

Re: Recent Rescue for Altitude Sickness
Harvey Lankford #27557 09/07/12 02:37 PM
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Remember there is more than one trail head for Maggie Lakes. If they left via Moses Gulch area, then prior to the hike may have been the drive up a long windy road. I have started several hikes from the west side with uneasiness due to car motion sickness. They may have weakened the acclimation process.

Re: Recent Rescue for Altitude Sickness
Ken #27583 09/09/12 08:15 AM
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I had a friend, deteriorate rather quickly his first time up to Horseshoe Meadow. My guess is if he stayed the night he would have had a rescue type of event.

I believe it is rare but I believe it can happen. I've seen people with no history AMS get delirious at 11,000' after a hard day in the mountains. I have problems if I over exert, while taking Diamox. Diamox is not a panacea, it is tool to help those of us who have problems in the mountains. If not used properly or if you do too much, it does not work all that well.

Re: Recent Rescue for Altitude Sickness
wbtravis #27584 09/09/12 09:41 AM
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I am still trying to figure out why I don't have any acclimatization problems while going up to the summit of Mt Whitney, but nearly always get a nasty headache or two on the way down. I had three separate headaches this year on the way back to the portal in a 5 hour period. They seemed to get better if I used "puff breathing", but came back. Last year I felt fine on the summit, but felt nausea and a light headache while heading back on the switchbacks.
Any ideas?


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Re: Recent Rescue for Altitude Sickness
quillansculpture #27586 09/09/12 10:27 AM
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Originally Posted By: quillansculpture
I am still trying to figure out why I don't have any acclimatization problems while going up to the summit of Mt Whitney, but nearly always get a nasty headache or two on the way down.


Takes time for bad stuff to happen. Some is fast, like pulmonary artery hypertension on exposure to lowered O2. But some of the metabolic effects, like brain swelling, take time to be manifested. It is bizarre _ I once hiked on first day up from mosquito Flats to Chickenfoot Lake, just 2 hrs. No problem getting there, but nasty headache on way back . Wife had it, too, although she is sensitive and it was expected for her as a slower acclimatizer. "Only" 10,000 ft

It is said that there is a continuum from simple AMS headache to HACE to death. The latter is rare at 14,000 but once you see this bad stuff happen in the Greater Ranges you will never forget it.

Re: Recent Rescue for Altitude Sickness
quillansculpture #27609 09/10/12 07:54 AM
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Joe,

I've stopped trying figure out what happens at elevation. When I can eat when I'm over 12,000' I am grateful but that is a rare occurrence. I started taking Diamox in 2000 after just very weird summer in the Sierra. No problems, at 11,000', problems at 7,500, no problems at 14,000, big problems at 14,000'.

Everyone is different. I go to San G and San Jac as day hikes and have not problems. I have a friends who have to use Diamox going to Baldy...and sometimes that is not effective.

I once had it so bad on White Mountain...and I was hit with it all at once on the summit, that the symptoms did not clear until I was in Big Pine (4,000') for over an hour.

Re: Recent Rescue for Altitude Sickness
wbtravis #27610 09/10/12 09:37 AM
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I had a friend start to develop altitude sickness at a campground in Sequoia NP at just under 7,000ft. Drove him down to the valley for the night and he cleared right up. Next day returning to the area he was fine. The human body makes up its own mind on when it will be ok with altitude changes. On another day I'm sure the father in this rescue would be fine in the same place.


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