362-pound Oregon hiker rescued on Appala chian Trai

“An Oregon man who had become ill while hiking the Appalachian Trail in the Hurricane Gap section of the Cherokee National Forest was rescued Saturday morning by emergency workers from Tennessee and North Carolina.

Greeneville Emergency & Rescue Squad member Kevin Ayers said on Saturday that Ross John Sieja, 62, reportedly had become ill while on a two- or three-day hike and had taken refuge at the Spring Mountain Shelter.

Sieja, who told rescuers he weighed 362 pounds, had been found by other hikers who used a cell phone to call for help, according to Ayers, who said it was unclear exactly how long Sieja had been in the Appalachian Trail shelter.

Greeneville Emergency & Rescue Squad Capt. Jon Waddell was contacted by Greene County 911 about 8:15 a.m. Saturday, and a rescue effort was launched, Ayers said.

At the same time, Ayers said, Madison County, N.C., fire and rescue personnel also had been contacted and also responded to the request for help, he said.

"We left our headquarters on Saturday morning with seven personnel, four all-terrain vehicles, our command trailer and our search and rescue trailer," Ayers said. "We met Jon (Waddell) at the Lower Paint Creek Campground and set up a command post there."

Ayers said Waddell and two other Rescue Squad volunteers staffed the command post while six other volunteers drove up Hurricane Gap Road until they met Madison County Fire and Rescue personnel who had arrived earlier.

"They had already sent personnel and a paramedic to the patient and were in the process of bringing him out of the shelter," Ayers said.

Placed Into ATV

He noted that two Greeneville Emergency & Rescue Squad volunteers helped Madison County personnel load Sieja into a six-wheeled all-terrain vehicle.

At that point, Ayers said, Greeneville Emergency & Rescue Squad Personnel traveled ahead of the Madison County all-terrain vehicle that was carrying the ill hiker, clearing logs and cutting brush from the trail.

"They (Madison County) brought him back down off the mountain onto Hurricane Gap Road about 12:45 p.m.," Ayers said. "He said he didn't want to go to the hospital and was just tired. They (Madison County) took him to Hot Springs, N.C."

Ayers noted that Hot Springs was hosting its annual "Trailfest" celebration on Saturday.

Mule Was Backup

Ayers said Rescue Squad personnel had an unususal backup plan in case the terrain had proven too difficult for all-terrain vehicles to reach the shelter on Saturday.

"We had the assistance of Roy Darnell, a White Sands community resident, and his mule," Ayers said.

"If ATVs could not have gotten in (to the shelter), we were going to try to put him (the ill hiker) on the mule and let him ride back out of there," Ayers said. "He was a good, calm mule."

Ayers said Darnell, who is the brother of a Greene County-Greeneville Emergency Medical Services employee, and his mule are "available to the Rescue Squad whenever we need him."

Also taking part in the Saturday morning rescue effort were the Greene County Sheriff's Department, the Greene County Chapter of the American Red Cross, as well as North Carolina rescue personnel.
last edited: 4/30/08 2:35:44 AM”

“don't worry...it wasn't me!!!”

“Ok.. I'm confused. I just spent some time backpack shopping and trying to find a pack that would encircle my ample waistline. I only tip the scales at 145 or so. (depending on several variable factors) Where did this guy get a pack (assuming he had one for a multiday hike) that would fit a 365 figure? Cowabunga.”

“He didn't want to go to the hospital ....he was just tired geeeez. If I was one of those SAR folks who had done all that to get him down off the trail I'd would have whipped his fat a$$. He would have needed to go to the hospital then!

Next time I hope when the 911 operator gets the call she tells the caller "We'll come up when the crybaby losses some weight or croaks."

Nothing worse than having to move to the side of the trail while some fat slob waddles past you.”

“This guy completed a thruhike in 2002. The trail is more about mental stamina than physical.

”

“Is the pic of the guy who was rescued? Or is that somebody else. I am unclear.

I can't fathom wearing a full pack without a waist belt. But then I am not an ultralighter. I can relate to the stuff hangong off the shoulder straps though. sheesh.. I got my glucose meter hanging where it is always within easy reach.”

“"He said he didn't want to go to the hospital and was just tired.”

““He didn't want to go to the hospital ....he was just tired geeeez. If I was one of those SAR folks who had done all that to get him down off the trail I'd would have whipped his fat a$$. He would have needed to go to the hospital then!

Next time I hope when the 911 operator gets the call she tells the caller "We'll come up when the crybaby losses some weight or croaks."

Nothing worse than having to move to the side of the trail while some fat slob waddles past you.”
forklift eLvis
4:36:13 AM
4/30/08

You don't have to be such an ass about it but I find myself in agreement with you.”

“rev, thats not the guy who was rescued, but the story, and your complaint about teh waist belt :), made me think of this guy. He had a great trail journal.”

“The trail is more about mental stamina than physical.

spot on”

“forklift..

What is it like to have a 362 pound fat slob waddle past you?

He was probably cursing the 'idiot' who was waddling slower then he was and wouldn't get out of his way...

(wink wink nudge nudge)

'fool”

“i'd be interested in knowing how much that guy lost after completing the AT”

“

CHALLENGES

I expected times like this - but I never thought they'd be so bad, so long, and so frequent.
last edited: 4/30/08 1:19:43 PM”

“rev - how is 145#'s an ample waistline? Are you 4' tall or something?”

“Does anyone else find it interesting that the story tells of the man's weight, but nothing of why he needed to be helped off the trail. It did say he didn't want to go to the hospital and that he was just tired, but it doesn't say what was wrong with him, just that he was ill. It did say that others called for him. My point being, it's easy to jump to conclusions based off what the media feeds us. I'm not saying his weight isn't a factor in all of this, but we don't know if that's they only reason he needed help.”

“It's not uncommon for westerners to get their asses kicked by the Appalachians.”

“dayhiker... the actual weight should be 245. hehehe I haven't seen 145 since Jr. High school.”

“How about that Kevin Ayers guy?”

“TD has weighed about 270 for the last 10 years.

(I'm down to about 250 right now.. but its more about finding a pace, and having the drive/stamina to keep going.)”

“dayhiker... the actual weight should be 245. hehehe I haven't seen 145 since Jr. High school.”
ramblinrev
4:20:02 PM
4/30/08

I figured that had to be what you meant.”

“Hey guys, I'm a firefighter/medic and I can tell you those guys doing the job were probably as professional as they could be during the rescue. But when he got free of the trail and didn't want to go to the hospital and that he was just tired....I WOULD HAVE BEEN PISSED....and in some places he would be responsible for the cost of the rescue, people with far more serious injuries have been billed for their rescue!”

“The article says the guy was found by other hikers who were unsure how long the man had been in the shelter. (They didn't ask?) It was the other hikers who called in the 911. I'm not sure how that all changes the mix here. There is no indication of what the illness was. I would be pissed too, but by the same token it wasn't the "sick" guy that called it in.”

“He damn sure took the free ride down the hill. He could have said never mind I'll make my own way down.”

“I've seen normal looking folks get dehydrated on the trail and suffer from heat exhaustion, maybe stroke. Should you tell that person to just get up and keep walking or would you call for a rescue?”

“What is the liability factor for the rescue crew? If they respond to a call are they at risk for liability if they do not insist the person be transported out? I am asking this. I don't know the answer.

My son was involved in a car accident but was unhurt. The ambulance arrived and the attendants were very unhappy about not transporting him to the hospital. He finally agreed just to make sure everything was ok and nothing was hidden. Was the crew obligated to extract him? I would have prefered the mule my self... but whatever.”

““I've seen normal looking folks get dehydrated on the trail and suffer from heat exhaustion, maybe stroke. Should you tell that person to just get up and keep walking or would you call for a rescue?”
hyway
7:34:05 AM
5/01/08

He himself explained that he was just tired I'm going on that information alone. If that was the only problem he should have walked out and not put the rescue guys into a situation where they are required to carry him out.”

“thats what the media reported he said, he could have said 50 other things that didn't get into the story.”

““How about that Kevin Ayers guy?”
coyote820
4:45:00 PM
4/30/08

I know that crazy bastard can hike 22 miles in one day.”

““thats what the media reported he said, he could have said 50 other things that didn't get into the story.”
hyway
8:06:41 AM
5/01/08

Very True.”

“I am a big guy, I mean a REALLY big guy, especially by common hiker standards. I can't even count the number of times I've gotten the look in the backcountry that screams "What the hell are you doing out here?". The answer is simple. Hiking. I have a Gregory Whitney pack that fits around my waist. It's a stretch, but it fits. I like how everyone equates weight with ability. Most people guess my weight at 50 to 75 pounds less than it actually is, so no big deal, no pun intended. A buddy of mine is a marathoner. He weighs around 250-260. At his last race a guy actually asked him what the hell he was doing there and at mile 18 where that guy stopped my buddy just ran on by and gave him a wave. You always hear news stories of big people NOT being able to do anything, or in the case of the Fat Man Walking, doing something rather poorly if you ask me. I'm a huge guy who is very active and I hate stories like this, but I will just keep hiking, and enjoy the time in the woods, or the rocks, since I like it above the tree line.”

“true...can't really trust what comes from the media...I've seen them botch a perfectly good story. Rev...as for liability to the rescue crews. They are obligated by law to transport a person if they can't speak for themselves. It's called "implied consent." Someone who is alert and oriented, no matter their injuries, can refuse treatment and or transport. However they must be thoroughly informed of the possible consequences of refusing and must also sign a patient refusal form which releases the crew from liability and states they are refusing treatment and transport against medical advice. Hope that clears it up for you.”

“strz51... Thanks I kind of assumed that but wasn't sure.

squirrelbait... I kind of wonder if that's what happened in the case of this guy. Other hikers found him crashed out asleep in the shelter. They looked at him and decided on their own that he needed rescued and called it in. I mean, sheesh. they didn't know how long he had been there when they made the call.

Yeah he did accept the ride out. That's true. My son accepted the the transport in the ambulance. But it was more out of the insistence of the crew than a sense of his feeling a need to go. We were offered the release but they were reluctant to have him sign it.

I'd like to hear this guys story first hand. I've had to bail numerous times but for me it is only circumstantial to weight. I have verve damage that made it difficult to know what my feet were doing. It was either bail... or risk serious injury.”

“Hey Squirrel...I don't know about anyone else here but I've got no issues with large people on the trail. In fact..I salute them, and admire them. Everyone here at sometime or another, whether large or small has pushed themselves beyond their limits. Thats how you know what you are capable of. If it's true that this guy was just tired and used rescue crews for a free ride, then I would question what the hell this guy was thinking to begin with. Plus if he was that out of shape...maybe a ride off the trail prevented a more serious injury or heart attack. So I recant part of my first message however, as I said then, people with more serious issues have been billed for the cost of the rescue.”

“I agree about the rescue strz, if he accepted it, he should pay for it. I am seriously looking into the new GPS/EPIRB that offers rescue insurance up to 100,000 bucks if ever needed. I doubt I will need it because I am too pooped to walk, but accidents do happen.”

“CARSON CITY, Nev. -- Gov. Jim Gibbons plans to bill the widow of adventurer Steve Fossett for the unsuccessful recovery search.

Last year, the state spent $687,000 over a month looking for the multimillionaire adventurer after his plane disappeared in northern Nevada. During a month-long search, ground crews, the Nevada National Guard and the Civil Air Patrol scoured a 20,000 square-mile area, but turned up no sign of Fossett or his plane.
http://www.fox5vegas.com/news/16098195/detail.html

Speaking of billed SAR missions. Over $600 grand that turned up no finds. Ouch...”

“This just brings us to "who pays for SAR"? Is it based on income? If a pilot crashes through no fault of his own and survives for two weeks by the wreckage of his plane and is found and nursed back to health, should he pay for the services? I know in Colorado, and I think Wyoming, whenever you buy a license to hunt or fish there is a SAR fee tacked on to the total cost. Does this mean that SAR is free since very few of the people who pay for it ever use it? Just a few thoughts on SAR.”

“i got lost in colorado several years ago, on my first true wilderness camping trip. i found another group of campers and they called SAR, who came and got me. no one ever mentioned a bill to me”

“More aircraft are lost in the states (terra firma) than in the Bermuda triangle each year...

The fat dude was just another in a long procession of Sierras/Cascades/Rockies westerners than underestimate the difficulty of hiking in the Appalacians. Plain and simple,”

“What exactly are the troubles you run into hiking the Appalachians? They are at a lower elevation than the Rockies, there are numerous shelters to stay in and towns on most of the segments. I am not trying to be a smart azz, I am just asking. Many people have made that same statement about westerners getting their butts kicked by the Appalachians and I want to know why.”

“I have gotten equal numbers of bag nights in the Rox as Apps. For every foot gained, you lose almost another. Very very up-and-down, and few switchbacks.”

“What exactly are the troubles you run into hiking the Appalachians?

the trail itself is much more difficult. more rugged, steeper.”

“it's an eastern thing... what you lack in quality you make up for in denial.”

“speak for yourself, beggarsan”

““What exactly are the troubles you run into hiking the Appalachians? They are at a lower elevation than the Rockies, there are numerous shelters to stay in and towns on most of the segments. I am not trying to be a smart azz, I am just asking. Many people have made that same statement about westerners getting their butts kicked by the Appalachians and I want to know why.”
squirrelbait
3:51:38 PM
5/01/08

85% humidity...”

“0% humility”

“plus we got more trees to run into.... nyeah nyeah”

“The trails in the Rockies tend to follow creek drainages. They make a gradual ascent up the mountain(s) until reaching a pass, then it's switchbacks to the top. Then, switchback down the opposite side to another creek, at which time the trail "flattens" somewhat to a gradual descent. I'm speaking in general terms - there are many exceptions.

The Applacian trails follow creek drainages too, as well as ridge lines. Ridgeline trails are constantly up and down from gap to knob to gap to knob.

Two personal examples:
Tetons,
Paintbrush Canyon Trail.
The trail gains 4000 feet in eight miles from the valley floor to Paintbrush Divide. Virtually every step is uphill. It's a butt-kicker of a trail. That's alot of elevation gain.


Appalacian Trail from the Nantahala River to Chehoa Bald, NC.
3000 feet elevation gain in eight miles.
This hike is mostly uphill, but croses a number of gaps, which requires elevation loss as you drop into the gaps. Then, you have to regain that loss across the gap as you resume ascending. It's kinda like two steps up, then one step down. Or 300 feet gain and 100 feet loss - which has to be regained.

On paper, the Teton hike may look more grueling - 4000 ft gain compared to 3000 ft gain on the Chehoa hike, with both being eight miles in length. However, the elevation change is probably close to 5000 ft on the AT due to the losses and regainages.

The Chehoa Bald hike is the only time I have seen Sarabelle complain. We were still a mile or so away from the bald when she was ready to drop her pack and call it a day...
last edited: 5/02/08 3:30:15 AM”

“My guess is that tubsie-wubsie was on drugs.”

“Well Wicked...you might be right but probably not the drugs you are thinking about...let me think here...hmm....62 and overweight. Lipitor and Zetia for cholesterol, Norvasc for high blood pressure. Lasix for fluid retention and possible CHF. Possibly a beta blocker like Atenolol and Nexium for Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disorder not to mention a daily dose of aspirin. Never mind that many overweight people have a history of Diabetes and is probably at the very least on Glucophage or Glyburide. Thats just a stab in the dark based on what I see on a daily basis. But I doubt he was on anything illegal, mostly because those that enjoy the outdoors are less likely to use any hardcore drugs. In my experience anyways.”

“I would still like to know how long he had been there. Why didn't the other hikers find that out before callin in a 911? I'd like to hear his story from his side.”