How to get a Free Ride off the top of the mountain....

Two goat hunters, dehydrated after their water supply froze, were rescued from Blackerby Ridge by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter Tuesday evening.

The men, ages 22 and 24, called USCG watchstanders in Juneau on a handheld VHF radio at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, stating they were not prepared to stay out past sundown and were experiencing signs of dehydration. The men, who the Coast Guard didn’t name, were experiencing dizziness and cramping, according to USCG spokesperson Charly Hengen, who spoke with the Empire by phone Wednesday.

“According to the report coming from the men, they were having signs of dehydration and were having trouble making it off the trail themselves,” Hengen said, “So they did utilize the handheld radio they had.”

The men were above the tree line near Blackerby Ridge Trail. They had reported that their water had frozen, robbing them of their water supply for the hike down. They told watchstanders that trees in the area were frozen, making it difficult for the men to build a fire.

USCG notes that they do not believe the men were lost. They were prepared with an emergency blanket, head lamp and a backpack.

USCG responders notified Alaska State Troopers of the situation, who advised USCG send a helicopter to rescue the men from Air Station Sitka. It would have taken Juneau Mountain Rescue around two hours to locate the men.

Blackerby Ridge Trail is steep and unmarked. It takes between two and five hours to hike to the top.

“That’s why Juneau Mountain Rescue didn’t go in. It was faster to get there from the helicopter,” Hengen said.

USCG dispatched an MH-60 Jayhawk to the hunters. Watchstanders kept contact with the men while their rescue was en route.

The men were located at 11:04 p.m. north of Salmon Creek Reservoir, about two and a half miles from Glacier Highway, according to coordinates provided to the Empire.

A rescue swimmer was lowered from the helicopter in the rescue basket and hoisted both men into the helicopter. They were transported to Juneau National Guard hangar at 11:45 p.m., where they were treated by Capital City Fire/Rescue for symptoms of mild hypothermia.

USCG operations specialist Heather Goralczyk said the men were saved by their radio.

“We encourage all persons, whether hunting or hiking, to ensure they are fully equipped with appropriate safety and survival equipment when venturing into the Alaskan outdoors,” Goralczyk said.

 

At least they were smart enough to have a radio!! Does Coast Guard charge a "STUPID" tax for search and rescue operations?

 

We listened to this “Rescue” on the Radio, night before last, and it was very. apparent from the USCG side of the conversation, that these two were FlatLanders, way out of their depth, and about as tough as a Pair of SnowFlakes in summer... The USCG kept telling them to turn off their Radio, to conserve the Battery, so that they could use it to get exact location information when the Chopper arrived... They would go silent for no more than 10 minutes, and. then call in, to get an update on the rescue... This went on for two hours, or more... We could hear the Chopper, once they went airborne, and on their way up to the Site... This wasn’t the “Alert 5 Bird” but the Backup “Alert 45 Bird” as this wasn’t a “Life & Death” Rescue....

 

I still contend that they were not prepared to possibly spend one or more nights out in the wild. That is a major fail. Not talking about someone visiting the grandkids, having a flat tire with no spare tire or cell phone, here. The wilds of Alaska are real and Mother Nature is a harsh taskmaster.

Now, I may get myself into a situation where I need help one day but it will not be because I was unprepared. That is what this forum is all about, preparation. We prep for the unknown, the eventuality of an earthquake or tsunami, the possibility of an asteroid strike, having to evacuate a fire or flood, scarcity of food, having to construct shelter and survive without support services.

These two went out for a stroll and got caught unprepared and I am not judging, just calling it what it is.

 

You are correct, but I guess I missed where they were suffering from altitude sickness. I've had it at only 5,600 feet while out camping with my son and one of his friends. Not a fun time, but a definite learning experience. I didn't say they deserved to be left out in the wilderness, I said they were unprepared. Lucky they took a radio. And, the for a stroll comment was tongue in cheek for what I generally do when hunting. Walk around the hills for three days, see nothing and stop for a hamburger on the way home.

They were not prepared for the cold, didn't have adequate clothing, didn't have the means to stay warm, no portable shelter, no portable stove, too far away from what ever vehicle they took into the bush, no food other than possibly some protein bars (maybe) and had the expectation that if they got into trouble they could just call the Coasties for help.

Their mistakes can be used as examples of what not to do and we shouldn't let that get left behind in the conversation.

 

These two were NOT hunting in the western desert, they were Goat Hunting at 5000’ on top of a ridge, above Juneau, Alaska, in the middle of October, and if they had bothered, to even look at the 5 Day Wx Outlook, would have known that it had snowed up there two days before, and would be under Clear Skies, that day, and thru the next two days, which drops the Temps at the elevation in the low 20s F, at night.... They had taken no food, and limited water which froze on them, because they didn’t have it under their Clothing... (Like in their Arm Pits) Doing just that would have melted the frozen water in 30 minutes... Plus their only other Preps were one Space Blanket, some matches, and the Handheld VHF Marine Radio, which is NOT Legal to operate on Land... They used up their matches trying to light a fire, with Snow covered wood, and frozen Grasses... They stated they were unprepared to stay over-night.... They were also within 2 Miles of the Glacier Highway, that runs north from Juneau to Berners Bay... My issue with this whole incident, is “ Just where did they think they were going to be hunting? Some farm, next to a Freeway, down in the FlatLands? Those Coasties risk their lives, on each and every SAR Incident, they go out on, and in the DARK NIGHT, with NO LIGHTS below, makes it even MORE Risky, for them, expotentially MORE Risky...

 

P+++ poor planning prevents perfection. Is that how it goes? Those birds learned a lesson the easy way about planning. Yes, we are about preparedness. Sympathy is secondary.

 

I don't leave my house in the morning without my GHB. It has a means of shelter, multiple ways to make fire, purify water and so on..... these guys did not even have the basics covered. Nobody going out into the wild, let alone remote AK, would not have their shit together and be prepared for an extended travel through the woods IMO.

 

According to what I read on the USCG site, the rescue was a freebie. So far as here goes, cell phone minutes are minutes regardless of who you call, or so I've been told.

They had a radio, not a cell thingie.

 

In alaska, the USCG does NOT charge for legitimate SAR Responses, as each request, must be vetted by the Chain of Command, with the Flight Surgeon having the final Say... The USCG does ALL the SAR Deployments, anywhere near our Coastline, and the Army does ALL the SAR Deployments in the Interior of the State of Alaska... The local Mountain Rescue were quirried, by the State Troopers, but devlined to deploy, given it would take them till at least daylight just to get up into that area, anyway, and it was almost a vertical climb, if not taking the narrow trail, which was very iffy, in the dark...