Friday, May 28, 2010

BAMRU Adds Twelve Trainees

BAMRU is happy to announce the addition of twelve new trainees to our team!

Each spring, BAMRU engages in an in-depth recruiting and selection process. We've gotten to know each of our new trainees, and have seen them in action in the field. This cohort of trainees brings an incredible depth of experience, enthusiasm and skills, and we are very excited to welcome them into our family.

Congrats to our new trainees!!!


Back row: John Mandish, Eric Leong, MacRae Linton, Kevin Pereia, Patrick Callery, Kurt Gross (our Trainee Mentor)
Front row: Jenna Wiley, Abi Rankin, Emily Ghio, Will Gilmore
Not Pictured: Tyler Phelan, Blake Gleason, Woody Hoburg

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Navigation / Tracking Training

Last weekend BAMRU conducted Navigation and Tracking exercises on the beautiful Milagra Ridge and Huddart Park in San Mateo County. We had 16 people from BAMRU and were joined by a park ranger from the GGNRA. During the training we covered navigation using GPS and compass coordinates, and conducted tracking exercises over various types of ground.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Climbing Injury

A quick story about a climbing injury yesterday from a BAMRU member...

So yesterday I go climbing with a guy. We've been at the crag maybe 20 minutes, he starts leading a sport route. Clips the first bolt no problem. Second bolt is significantly higher, almost seems too high and super sketch. He flails for a good 2-3 minutes trying to get to next bolt but finally throws a cam in a crack just below waist level. He pulls up rope to clip the cam and, you guessed it, he misses and woosh!

He falls a solid 20 feet, flips, landing head (helmeted) & neck first on a ledge 15 feet above me. Unconscious for a good 10-15 seconds.

Finally sits up and blood starts pouring out of his helmet down the rock like a waterfall. I escape belay and scramble up to the guy who is woozy but A&O x 4, throw a sam splint collar on and hold pressure on his scalp lac. Bystanders run down trail to road to drive about 15 minutes to get cell reception to call 911.

Mtn Rescue arrives soon thereafter and rigs a high angle to a steep angle and subject goes to hospital.

Subject seen at hospital later that evening and discharged. No skull or c-spine fracture or intracranial bleed, just a solid lac where his helmet impacted and the adjuster strap dug into his skin.

Bottom line folks, not that you ever doubted it, please, please wear your helmets, even for a quick jaunt to a sport crag, stuff happens. If this guy were unhelmetted, I'm scared to think of how this scenario would've turned out. Fortunately, all he has is a smallish laceration and was back out drinking beer later last night.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Wilderness Medicine at Stanford

Yesterday BAMRU presented to the Stanford Wilderness Medicine Class with an overview of various aspects of mountain search and rescue. The first part of the class included lecture with hands on class room sessions. The second session covers practical stations focusing on patient packaging and carry outs. Hats off to BAMRU's eight instructors for training and building relationships with our Wilderness Medicine community.