AMS, INABILITY TO COMMUNICATE Alaska, Mount McKinley
AMS, INABILITY TO COMMUNICATE Alaska, Mount McKinley On June 21, 1991, Japanese climbers Hiroshi Sakurai (28) and Hiroshi Urayama (34) arrived at 15,500 feet on the Haston-Scott route on the south face o f Mount McKinley.
T h e p air h ad ascen d ed 3,500 feet from th e b o tto m o f th e face th a t day. U rayam a was s tru c k w ith sev ere A cu te M o u n ta in S ickness an d felt h e s h o u ld b e re sc u e d . T h a t evening, th e p air b egan calling “M ay D ay” on th e ir CB radio. T h e N PS resp o n d e d w ith a search p la n e a tte m p tin g to locate th e “M ay D ay ” calls. N u m e ro u s co n tacts w ere m ade w ith m any clim bers including th e Japanese, b u t d u e to a com m unication barrier, th e tw o rem ain ed u n identified. “M ay D ay” calls w ere again re p o rte d on Ju n e 22, and th e N PS L am a h elico p ter began to search. Again th e tw o Jap an ese w ere n o t identified. U rayam a d ecid ed th a t h e w asn’t going to b e rescued, so th e p air began ascending th e ro u te v ery rapidly, su m m itin g ea rly th e next m o rn in g . T h e y th e n d e s c e n d e d an d re p o rte d to th e N PS ran g er cam p at 14,200 feet th a t th ey w ere th e ones calling “M ay D ay.” W ith this inform ation, th e search was called off.
Analysis This type o f com m unication p ro b lem occurs freq u en tly on m ou n tain s such as D enali th a t draw a large intern atio n al audience. H an d signals m ay have b e e n a clea re r way of indicating th e p arty ’s intentions. Tw o hands raised is th e universal sign indicating an evacuation is n eeded. O u r m ain concern rests w ith th e question: W h e n should so m eo n e call for a rescu e? (Source: R oger R obinson, M ountain eerin g R anger, D enali N ational Park)
Medical Analysis In retro sp e ct, U rayam a probably did n o t have severe acu te m o u n tain sickness, o r he w ould n o t have b e e n able to m ake th e rap id ascent over th e to p an d th e d esce n t dow n to th e 14,000 foot level. O n th e o th e r hand, his decision to go u p and over w ith o u t delay was a good one, since rescue did n o t seem possible, an d th ey could n o t safely descen d. In situations such as this, th e m edication d ex am eth aso n e m ay dram atically a b o rt p ro g re ssio n o f ac u te m o u n ta in sickness. C lim b e rs on th e m o u n ta in sle ep in g above 10,000 o r 12,000 feet should have dexam ethason e in th e ir packs. U nfortunately, th e m edication is o f no value for pulm o n ary edem a. (Source: D r. P e te r H ack ett)
T h e p air h ad ascen d ed 3,500 feet from th e b o tto m o f th e face th a t day. U rayam a was s tru c k w ith sev ere A cu te M o u n ta in S ickness an d felt h e s h o u ld b e re sc u e d . T h a t evening, th e p air b egan calling “M ay D ay” on th e ir CB radio. T h e N PS resp o n d e d w ith a search p la n e a tte m p tin g to locate th e “M ay D ay ” calls. N u m e ro u s co n tacts w ere m ade w ith m any clim bers including th e Japanese, b u t d u e to a com m unication barrier, th e tw o rem ain ed u n identified. “M ay D ay” calls w ere again re p o rte d on Ju n e 22, and th e N PS L am a h elico p ter began to search. Again th e tw o Jap an ese w ere n o t identified. U rayam a d ecid ed th a t h e w asn’t going to b e rescued, so th e p air began ascending th e ro u te v ery rapidly, su m m itin g ea rly th e next m o rn in g . T h e y th e n d e s c e n d e d an d re p o rte d to th e N PS ran g er cam p at 14,200 feet th a t th ey w ere th e ones calling “M ay D ay.” W ith this inform ation, th e search was called off.
Analysis This type o f com m unication p ro b lem occurs freq u en tly on m ou n tain s such as D enali th a t draw a large intern atio n al audience. H an d signals m ay have b e e n a clea re r way of indicating th e p arty ’s intentions. Tw o hands raised is th e universal sign indicating an evacuation is n eeded. O u r m ain concern rests w ith th e question: W h e n should so m eo n e call for a rescu e? (Source: R oger R obinson, M ountain eerin g R anger, D enali N ational Park)
Medical Analysis In retro sp e ct, U rayam a probably did n o t have severe acu te m o u n tain sickness, o r he w ould n o t have b e e n able to m ake th e rap id ascent over th e to p an d th e d esce n t dow n to th e 14,000 foot level. O n th e o th e r hand, his decision to go u p and over w ith o u t delay was a good one, since rescue did n o t seem possible, an d th ey could n o t safely descen d. In situations such as this, th e m edication d ex am eth aso n e m ay dram atically a b o rt p ro g re ssio n o f ac u te m o u n ta in sickness. C lim b e rs on th e m o u n ta in sle ep in g above 10,000 o r 12,000 feet should have dexam ethason e in th e ir packs. U nfortunately, th e m edication is o f no value for pulm o n ary edem a. (Source: D r. P e te r H ack ett)
