During a hike to Bear Lake this summer a Unalayee hiking group discovered an injured hiker, Dr. Kilburn. During the helicopter evacuation, which the counselors of our hike helped initiate, a life-threatening situation occurred when the paramedic, Tony Stanley, was struck by a helicopter rotor blade. Dr. Kilburn, with his own seriously broken and dislocated ankle, was suddenly directing the life-saving rescue of the paramedic. Under his direction the team worked together to perform several life-saving medical procedures before evacuating Stanley to the hospital in Redding.
The innate, immediate response of Bryce to apply direct pressure to the head wound was the first of many crucial steps in the successful outcome of the rescue.
Beth, mainly because of her lighter weight, acted as flight nurse in the helicopter, applying direct pressure to control bleeding, holding IV bags and following other instructions of the doctor. “She never flinched once,” said Dr. Kilburn.
During an interview, Dr. Kilburn (a US Air Force critical care pulmonologist) deflected the praise he had received for his role in the rescue, saying that he was simply doing what he had been trained to do. He instead praised the two camp counselors for their extraordinary courage, presence of mind and selflessness in this attempt to save the life of the paramedic. Upon his recommendation both Beth and Bryce were recognized by the Air Force with an award given to civilians for service above and beyond the call of duty.
Thanks to the fast action of everyone involved, the CHP paramedic survived the accident and is currently doing well.
The entire Camp Unalayee community honors and thanks you, Beth and Bryce, for your heroic actions during this life-saving rescue. We honor your extraordinary courage, presence of mind and selflessness in helping to save the life of another. We are proud and fortunate and very grateful to have you on staff. You are an inspiration to us all.
We also want to thank Lindsay Maurer, the third counselor on the hike, CIT Lydia Warren, and all of the campers on the hike for their tremendous help by staying calm throughout this emergency situation.
“These individuals are not only heroes, they are guardian angels. The California Highway Patrol is extremely grateful.” –CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow
The amazing story of this rescue was picked up by the media nationwide and if you’d like to learn more about the story you can access many articles on the internet. Try starting with one of the following articles or searching for CHP helicopter rescues.
http://www.redding.com/news/2012/jul/09/injured-doctor-comes-aid-chp-officer-who-came-resc/