Climber rescued from Middle Teton after fall
From staff reports, Jackson Hole, Wyo.
July 7, 2008
Grand Teton National Park rangers and a helicopter evacuated an injured climber Friday from the Middle Teton.
Tom Wilkinson, 24, of Chapel Hill, N.C., tumbled about 150 feet and suffered a severe ankle injury while descending a snowfield.
Wilkinson and his climbing partner, Christopher Leath, 24, of Wilson, were descending the South Couloir route — which park officials described as a rarely climbed couloir between the Southwest and Ellingwood couloirs — when Wilkinson fell. He was wearing crampons and a helmet and was carrying an ice axe, according to a news release from Grand Teton National Park.
Wilkinson tumbled over several rockbands, injured his ankle when he struck a rock and came to a stop above a cliff at about 11,300 feet, the release said.
Leath placed an emergency cell phone call, which was transferred to park rangers at 12:30 p.m. Rangers began coordinating a rescue operation and requested the assistance of an interagency contract helicopter.
Because the two climbers were unable to describe their exact position on the mountain, rescuers sent up a reconnaissance flight to locate them.
Rangers and the pilot on that flight determined winds were too strong to drop off rescue personnel at the climbers’ location. Instead, six rangers and a helitack crew member were flown to a landing zone in Garnet Canyon Meadows, and they approached the party on foot.
Two rangers reached the climbers at 3:45 p.m., Rangers provided medical care to Wilkinson, placed him in an evacuation suit, and flew him, along with an attending ranger, below the helicopter to Lupine Meadows. A waiting park ambulance transported Wilkinson to St. John’s Medical Center for further medical care.
Park officials said dangerous and variable snow conditions persist above 9,000 feet and advised backcountry users to stop in or call a visitor center or ranger station to obtain the most current trail, route and snow conditions.
