Hiking Rescue in SE MN!!

“Was looking for something else on fishing when my eyes caught this in the Caledonia (MN) Argus. (Sorry no helicopters involved!)

Hiker rescued at Beaver Park

Posted: 3/30/04
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor

Caledonia Fire Department members started keeping nylon straps in their pockets to use for dragging purposes at the suggestion of member Mike Meiners in January.

That little tip came in handy in a rescue at Beaver Creek Valley State Park on March 19.

Fire department members used that webbing to make a harness to put around a 71-year-old Minneapolis man who was stranded on a steep, muddy hillside. They then used a series of rope maneuvers, and good old man-power, to guide him to the ground.

The situation came up at about 3 p.m. that Friday afternoon when Tom and Virginia Kern were hiking at the park.

Tom said on March 23 that they were about a mile from park headquarters when they came to a stream. Tom wanted to avoid crossing the stream twice, so he went off to the side of it on a hillside. Virginia went to the bottom right away, but Tom didn’t, and he soon found himself on a steep and slippery hillside.
He thought he could get down, but he slipped and grabbed hold of a tree.

There’s where his good sense kicked in, and where the fire department comes in. He decided to stay put.
Virginia went to park headquarters and told manager Roger Heimgartner what had happened. Heimgartner went to the spot and saw that Kern was hanging on to a tree about eight inches in diameter, and about 40 feet above the valley floor.

Heimgartner called 9-1-1, which dispatched the Caledonia Fire Department and the Caledonia ambulance after a phone call to Houston to see if they had any trained rock climbers, which they did not.

All the rescue workers rode to the scene in ATVs and a park vehicle. It was a team effort from that point, with four rescue workers above Kern and four below.
They tied a harness around Kern, and Jim Houdek tied himself to Kern to keep him upright for the trip to the bottom. Gordy Becker guided a rope around a tree above them, then workers lowered them down from below. Jesse Peterson was half way up the hill to guide the rope. Mark Schwebach, Jason Leahy, and Tom Esch fed out the the rope to lower Kern and Houdek down, with Andy Heisler, Mike Meiners, and Chuck Gavin at the other end.

EMTs from the ambulance, Bob Lemke and Traci Heaney were on the scene too in case of an injury.

Fire chief Chuck Gavin, who supervised the rescue, said something like this had never come up before, although he and Heimgartner had talked about it.
Gavin said it went well, especially with the webbing harness.

Kern was impressed with the firemen’s efforts. “They came along like the U.S. Marines.”

“I was most thankful,” Kern said of his rescuers. “They were very professional.”

Kern was tempted to try the descent on his own, but the fact that it was a sheer drop off of about 15 feet and the bank was muddy discouraged him. “I don’t have the sense of balance anymore. I was afraid they’d have to carry me out.”

He emerged with a stiff back and a red face -- he said he was embarrassed. He was glad that he had good hiking boots on. He didn’t get cold, and had gloves and water.
And he offered this advice to hikers: never hike alone, and if you have to double back, do it.

“We are going to go back and finish that hike,” Kern said. They are taking part in a state park hiking program in which you hike trails and find clues. This was number 41 of 65 state parks that they are exploring.

“It’s a very, very pretty park, as are all the parks in the state. It’s a shame they have to cut back.””

“What!?! How can you call it a rescue with no helicopter?”

“As you can see lizs, You must learn to do stream crossings and stay totally dry as I did last weekend. Had you guys not rushed upstream, wasting precious energy in finding a suitable place, I would have shown you my technique of doing a handstand (with full pack on) on top of my trekking poles and easily walking across in full handstand on top of the poles, avoiding any moisture. Should have seen it.....I was absolutley magnificent!”

“hee hee hee hee hee The Lorax..I just talked to the Hennessy folks and told them about your "graceful" morning exit last week-end..where was your superb balance then, huh? huh? huh? LOL”

“Doesn't apply to hammocks.....not after a night of Yukon Jack anyway.”

“THAT's the name of the stuff you all were drinking that night! I had forgotten..I think Lizs's cackling as she Peep roasted blew it out of my brain..”

“In the story they said they used "good old man power". Was that "good old" man power, or "good" old man power?"”

“Nowslimmer's good "old man" power would have been something like "Don't go down there in the first place"...”

“Beaver Park?”

“I am all too frequently on the edge!
http://www.thebackpacker.com/trailtalk/thread.php?id=24463&q=nav&age=-1

Taking a short cut on a long hike at Adak, AK, I got myself stuck on a ledge. It was a long way down. I had no choice but to cross a void by hanging on the tundra with my fingers. Thank God the tundra held.”

“Ah, Yes... the black sheep Of Canadian liquors.....”

“There's a Canadian liquor called Beaver Park?”

“Wow, did I misread the title of this thread. Dirty mind, dirty mind!”

“A dirty mind and too much Wheel of Fortune? LOL”

“I'd like to buy an "O"...”

“That is almost exactly what happened to me on the fiery gizzard last month. Minus the rescue. His advice is now my advice as well. Learned alot of lessons that weekend.”

“To me it sounded kinda wimpy-ish... BUT I happened to see the paper elsewhere today. It did look kinda nasty.

to the lorax: thanks for the Yukon Jack, I think it was my one swig (no, it was not a LONG swig.. lol) OH yeah and, you're right, I would liked to have seen the handstand!!

to treebait: girl, I think you'd give me a run for my money in having a dirty mind. But I also readily pick up on it in conversation ALWAYS... do you when people are talking? LOL!

to NS: "hi!"

to Nashvillehiker: Yeah, I remember your story, how that you mention it.

to stovey: Beaver Creek Valley State Park. SHEESH!”