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
Saving lives is not easy work. And yes, mountain rescue is about saving lives. You all know the difficulties- the anxious call outs, the search before the rescue, the long approaches, operating technical systems in the dark, the blood, and sometimes worse. Then there is paperwork, training, recruitment, equipment maintenance, the budget and all the
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.
Cassie Lowry, DO FAWM MRA MedCOM Climbing, in its many forms, has grown in popularity across the country at an estimated 67% increase since 1998. As outdoor sports continued to grow in popularity during the COVID pandemic, the frequency of injuries is likely to have increased as well. Many of the largest data sets predate
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
Click here to view the full PDF version of the Spring 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: A rescue system used to hoist stranded elevator passengers west of Flagstaff, Ariz. (Coconino County Sheriff’s Office) Sponsor Spotlight:
President’s Message Saving lives is not easy work. And yes, mountain rescue is about saving lives. You all know the difficulties- the anxious call outs, the search before the rescue, the long approaches, operating technical systems in the dark, the blood, and sometimes worse. Then there is paperwork, training, recruitment, equipment maintenance, the budget
Rick Lindfors – Meridian Editor in Chief FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – A mountain rescue team brought their skills deep into an elevator shaft to rescue stranded passengers. On the night of October 23, 2022, an elevator at Grand Canyon Caverns suffered a malfunction, stranding several people 21 stories below the surface. According to the Coconino
ICAR MEDCOM 2022, Montreux, Switzerland Report to MRA Dr. Alison Sheets, Dr. Christopher VanTilburg ICAR 2022 was the first in-person conference since the Covid-19 epidemic and generated a great turn out with around 500 attendees. All commissions had great participation and the venue in Montreux was excellent. The MEDCOM activities began with a pre-conference
Presented by Dr. Alec Ritchie, North Shore SAR team member and medical director. As one of Canada’s busiest SAR teams, North Shore SAR reviewed occupational accidents of the all-volunteer SAR team. They found that 59% were sustained during training, 96% were traumatic injuries although most minor. There were 24 fatalities in the line of duty
Rick Lindfors – Meridian Editor in Chief This year Apple introduced new features for its new smartphone and that caught the eyes of many. IPhone 14 series users could now use an Emergency SOS feature to call for emergency services even when outside of cell phone range. The system uses a satellite connection to
Letter from the Editor We’ve all been the “new guy” a few times in our lives. All of us were the newest members on the team when we joined and we had to learn a new set of skills with a new group of people. Every now and then, we get to be the
Click here to view the full PDF version of the Winter 2024 Meridian in a beautiful, magazine-style layout. (Right click and select something like “Save Target As” to download the PDF for off-line viewing.) Sponsor Spotlight: Yeti Meridian sponsors cover the range of the outdoor gear world. Some companies build the gear we depend on to
President’s message- I’m writing this after a busy 4th of July weekend and reflecting on my new role as president of the MRA. It is quite an honor to be in the position and I appreciate the support I have had from all of you on my journey here. Yesterday I was sweating and working
Rick Lindfors-Ackerman – Meridian Editor in Chief Mt. Hood, Ore. – Oregon’s Mt. Hood is one of the most popular peaks in the U.S., drawing climbers from across the world. But the mountain is a challenge for even experienced alpinists with its variable conditions and steep slopes. The teams that service the mountain, Portland
Justin Wheaton – Meridian Editor The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Volunteer Forces Unit puts on a Rope Rescue Operator course every year. This course is the most basic introduction to rope rescue systems and application. The class builds a solid foundation based on our mission profile to allow teams to integrate on assignments. Primarily, the
Richard Yocum, MD, San Diego Mountain Rescue Team and Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit Frostbite is a painful condition often resulting in loss of tissue that is usually preventable. The Wilderness Medical Society (WMS) published a 2019 update to their clinical practice guidelines for the prevention and treatment of frostbite1 , which serves as the primary
A couple things as we close out this edition of Meridian. First off, thank you for your continued reading and sharing of the publication. This marks two full years of Meridian under my editorial responsibilities, and the task has been quite fulfilling. I get to talk to MRA volunteers from across the U.S. and learn
