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Show Injured skiers saved by Search and Rescue By JAMS STUART FARMINGTON Two crosscountry cross-country skiers were rescued by Davis County Search and Rescue Feb. 20, at the south fork of Kay's Creek. Todd VanBuren and Scott Jimie, both 20, of Syracuse, were reported missing at 11 p.m. on the Feb. 19. The two men had been scheduled to return at 6 p.m. and had been responsibly dressed and had adequate ade-quate supplies. An investigation was begun immediately, im-mediately, and officers from the lifeflight nurse were required to exit the helicopter onto a rock outcrop and then walk 500 yards to the victims. vic-tims. VanBuren and Jimie were suffering suffer-ing from hypothermia, and their clothing had been completely frozen. Search and Rescue members were flown in by the helicopter two and three at a time. As rescuers reached the victims, they wrapped them in their coats and put them in sleeping bags. Fluids were heated and given to the victims to increase their core temperature. The helicopter hovered over the scene to provide light for the rescuer. res-cuer. It required an intricate system of ropes and pulleys to be established in order to get the stretchers carrying carry-ing the victims out of the canyon. At 4:30 a.m., VanBuren was taken by ambulance to Davis North Hospital. By 5:30 a.m., Jimie was rescued from the mountainside and was taken by helicopter to Davis North Hospital. Injuries to the men were minimized due to the quick action of the Search and Rescue team. "Had VanBuren and Jimie been forced to spend the night in frozen clothes, their condition would have been critical," explained K.D. Simpson, Chief Deputy of the Davis County Sheriffs Department. "It was a rescue where everything went well," he continued. "Dispatchers, paramedics, members of Search and Rescue and those who gave helicopter support put forth great effort in performing their roles well. ' ' Sheriffs Department located the skiers' abandoned car. Search and Rescue was activated, and a lifeline helicopter was deployed. Searchers in the helicopter, using a powerful spotlight, located ski tracks in the snow and followed them to the south face of the canyon where they disappeared. Pilot Craig Cowley was able to discern some activity at the bottom of a steep canyon. VanBuren was waving, and it was obvious that Jimie was injured. Due to the steep, confined condition condi-tion of the mountain ravine, rescuers, res-cuers, K.D. Simpson and the |
