Bellingham Mountain Rescue Council Recounts a Life-Saving Mission

"I called our Operations Leader and learned that a climber slid on the ice and fell into a crevasse on Mount Baker," said Mitchell.  "We had to act quickly because we knew the climber could be seriously injured."

Mitchell left the restaurant, raced home and grabbed his gear: boots, a helmet, a harness and any other equipment he thought he needed.  He was preparing himself to save a life. 

It didn't take Mitchell long to collect the necessary equipment because his gear was already packed up and ready to go-a lesson he learned in his training from BMRC.

BMRC was organized in 1955 after two mountaineering accidents occurred on Mount Shuksan within a short period of time, demonstrating the need for a responsive rescue capability.  The Council now has 40 volunteer members who are on call 24/7.  Calls to 911 are transferred from the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office to BMRC Operations Leaders, who in turn organize the mission.

The mission Mitchell was called upon quickly became more serious once he found more information about the incident.  Jordan Smith*, a senior at Western Washington University at the time, was climbing Mount Baker with his friend Brad Collins* when Smith lost footing, slid down an icy slope, bounced off a crevasse wall and fell 50 to 60 feet into the gorge.

"The victim had a possible head and lower pelvic fracture," said Mitchell.  "Pelvic fractures are especially dangerous because the bone could easily rip an artery and the victim could bleed out and quickly die."

When Mitchell arrived at the Glacier fire station, the search and rescue meeting point for the mission, he met with Collins, who reported the accident.  After interviewing Collins to determine his level of experience and ability to rescue his friend, Mitchell began to devise a plan.

"We had three people respond to the 911 call," said Mitchell.  "One stayed with the rescue truck, which was parked at the trailhead, to work the radios with the Sheriff while another volunteer, Bob Sampson, and I went up to locate the victim with Collins."

At about 3 a.m. Saturday, the team reached the site.  Mitchell heard a faint voice coming from deep in the crevasse.  Smith was alive. 

The team set up a quick rope system, a system that allowed a team member to repel down the crevasse and be brought up, and Mitchell went down to assess the victim. 

Smith was in bad shape, but still alive.  He had multiple bruises and lacerations to his face and hands and a possible neck and hip injury.  Mitchell said it was going to be difficult to get him out because he was in such a tough spot-Smith had bounced off the crevasse wall, slid on the ice and was lying underneath the glacier.

"He was very glad to see me," said Mitchell.  "After I checked him out, he looked up at me and asked exactly how we were going to get him out of the crevasse.  I didn't know the best answer at the time so I told him ‘the other option is that we leave you down here and we're not going to do that, we are going to do the best we can.'"

Mitchell left Smith a radio, was pulled back up the crevasse and began to take an inventory list.  The site was completely made of ice so the team needed ice screws, another rope and help from another search and rescue team in the Northwest.  At around 4:30 a.m., the calls for supplies were made and the team decided to sleep until daybreak when they could continue the mission.

Mitchell was awoken on Saturday morning by Smith's weak, meager voice giving him notice that the sun had risen on a new day.  The team assembled and began to set up a rope rescue system. 

Sampson and Mitchell repelled down the crevasse to prepare Smith.  He needed to be put in a neck brace and secured in a litter, a rescue basket.  The mission needed to be completed before temperatures began rising because the warmth could compromise the stability of the crevasse. 

"This mission was more difficult than ones we have completed in the past because it incorporated every aspect of what we are trained to do," said Mitchell.

Olympic Mountain Rescue also came to help with the rescue, they came first thing in the morning and helped bring Sampson and Mitchell out of the crevasse.  It was these two teams working together that made this rescue possible.  After nearly 19 hours in the crevasse, Smith was raised onto the shelf, placed into Whidbey Island's Naval Air Station Blackhawk and taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.  He suffered a broken femur, dislocated hip, minor skull fracture, and minor spinal fracture, but was in otherwise good condition when admitted.

"A lot of people have the mentality that we only deal with rescuing mountain climbers," said Mitchell.  "But there are many times we get calls for help when people are enjoying what Whatcom County has to offer: skiers, hunters, someone who slips and falls on a trail-mountain climber rescues are the minority of calls we get."

BMRC responds to 20-30 calls each year and holds classes that teach mountain safety.  All members of the Council are volunteers.  Funding for all their rescue equipment, including radios, ropes, litters, a rescue truck, ice screws and other as needed material comes entirely from United Way of Whatcom County and individual donations.    

"We could not do what we do without assistance from United Way," said Mitchell.  

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*names were withheld to preserve anonymity