Click Here to view the full PDF version of the Winter 2023 Meridian COVER IMAGE: A U.S. Navy helicopter hoists a patient after he was pinned underneath a boulder in Inyo County, Calif. Sponsor Spotlight Communication is key in SAR operations and outdoor adventures in general. Rocky Talkie is a company committed to helping
Rick Lindfors-Ackerman – Meridian Editor in Chief INDEPENDENCE, CALIF – Ingenuity, communication and a bit of automotive know-how all came into play during the rescue of a man in Inyo County, Calif. The man and a friend were hunting for quartz crystals on December 5, 2023 near Crystal Ridge around 7,300 feet. The area
Rick Lindfors-Ackerman – Meridian Editor in Chief A documentary film with the mission to raise awareness and support for search and rescue is gaining acclaim and popularity. “Where the Rope Ends” tells the story of Nichole Doane, a Seattle nurse who was rescued by SAR after a canyoneering accident in 2017. Doane was seriously injured
What inspires someone to get into volunteer search and rescue? What motivates them to make a years or decades-long commitment? These are among many questions that Dr. Yuan Huang is asking in her research of volunteer SAR. Huang is a senior lecturer at Cardiff University in Wales, U.K. Her primary focus is operations management and
Once again I’d like to thank you for downloading and reading this issue of Meridian and hopefully enjoying the stories and contributions of MRA team members. We are used to downloading this as a file but we’ve recently taken a big step: Meridian is available as a dedicated web page on the Mountain Rescue Association
Click here to view the full PDF version of the Winter 2023 Meridian in a beautiful, magazine-style layout N THE COVER: Members of Chaffee County Search and Rescue evacuate a hiker who was caught in a snowstorm wearing a hooded sweatshirt and no survival equipment. Sponsor Spotlight: Communication is key in SAR operations and outdoor adventures
Rick Lindfors – Meridian Editor in Chief Search and rescue teams are no stranger to responding to calls for help from unprepared subjects or locating missing people who lacked the necessary clothing and equipment for their adventures. But these lapses in preparation can have life-threatening consequences as evidenced by two recent operations in Colorado and
Rick Lindfors – Meridian Editor in Chief Stress can show itself in many forms in first responders. One sign of stress or burnout is known as compassion fatigue. This can show itself as cynicism towards patients or feelings of hopelessness. Compassion fatigue can show after repeated exposure to stressful or traumatic incidents. “Usually people who
“Self-selection” is a phrase I’ve heard every now and then in my SAR career. It has always meant that an individual needs to recognize if they are able to meet the demands of a mission whether it is physical readiness or technical capacity and if necessary, opt out of a mission to ensure they are
Click here to view the full PDF version of the Winter 2023 Meridian in a beautiful, magazine-style layout. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit Email
This year, Juneau Mountain Rescue received the Mel Nading Search and Rescue Award after a series of missions in the summer of 2022. The award recognizes “exemplary service of ASARA member volunteers performing search and rescue operations either on an individual or team level in difficult, dangerous, or complex situations while going above and beyond
Rick Lindfors – Meridian Editor in Chief Los Angeles – Just outside the Los Angeles city limits shoots a more than ten-thousand foot peak. Mt. San Antonio, commonly known as Mt. Baldy, is within plain view of the second most populous city in the U.S. and draws hundreds of thousands to its trails in the
Another year down and many stories to look back on for MRA teams. I hope all of us are able to look back on the year with lessons learned in missions and training and be proud of what we’ve accomplished. One thing to look forward to this coming year is the continued distribution and event planning
Click here to view the full PDF version of the Fall 2023 Meridian in a beautiful, magazine-style layout. Sponsor Spotlight: Black DiamondMRA team members are familiar with two types of black diamonds. The first is the ski slope we take on when we’re feeling brave and the second is a gear company that covers the
SEATTLE – Surviving an incident that could have killed her was just the beginning for Nichole Doane. The Seattle-area trauma nurse nearly died in a rappelling accident and found the road to recovery to be long and brutal. But in her path forward she also discovered a way to help guide other trauma survivors through
Courage, Compassion, Commitment. Those are the words that surround the Mountain Rescue Association logo on the organization’s challenge coins. They represent the core of our volunteers; courageous people who have committed to saving lives in search and rescue through a sense of compassion for our subjects. The first two can be easier to gather within
Click here to view the full PDF version of the Summer 2023 Meridian in magazine-style layout. To download, right click the image and select “Save Target As…” (or something similar, depending on your browser). On the Cover: Members of North Shore Rescue hike through snow during the rescue of five hikers near Vancouver, B.C. (NSR) Sponsor
Vancouver, British Columbia – What was hoped to be a simple hike near the city of Vancouver turned into a race for rescue. On the evening of February 20th, North Shore Rescue received the call that a group of five hikers, unprepared for winter conditions, had become stranded on Lynn Peak near the south needle.
Tucson, Ariz. – In one of the strangest SAR incidents in recent memory, Arizona search and rescue teams found and assisted a hiker who got lost while dressed as a hot dog in Catalina State Park. The hiker, who was attempting a five-day, 100 mile hiking event for charity, found themselves in a pickle after
The essential personality traits for a search and rescue volunteer include determination, problem solving, grit and perhaps most important is a sense of humor. There is plenty to laugh about in our trade from harmless training mishaps (yours truly has spent quite a bit of time strapped into a litter and pressed into a cliff
