Search ongoing for 22-year-old missing hiker

[KRooney]

Forest rangers and State Police waded into deep snow on the nearly week-long search for a 22-year-old hiker from Canada who was reported missing by his father at 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 1, in the area of Allen Mountain in the central Adirondack Park town of Newcomb. The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) said Thursday ongoing search efforts have so far not yielded any results.
https://www.adirondackexplorer.org/stories/search-ongoing-in-newcomb-for-missing-canadian-hiker

I remember hiking Allen and it was a long hike, with slippery ledge towards of the hike - nearly impossible. It was the first day after 9/11 that planes were allowed to fly again, and there were many southbound flights, presumably from Europe, overhead.

 

[maineguy]

I remember hiking Allen and it was a long hike, with slippery ledge

Yes, red lichen growing on the ledge that was as slippery as ball bearings. Brutal. I didn't realize that the road to upper works was plowed in winter.

 

[NHChris]

Forest rangers and State Police waded into deep snow
https://www.adirondackexplorer.org/stories/search-ongoing-in-newcomb-for-missing-canadian-hiker

I’ve never seen a litter suspension system like the one shown here. It transfers some of the patients weight to a shoulder suspension frame worn by a pair of litter bearers.

In the pic 4 folks are managing the carry rather than 6 or 8.

Has this system ever been used in the Whites?

 

[Nessmuk]

I’ve never seen a litter suspension system like the one shown here. It transfers some of the patients weight to a shoulder suspension frame worn by a pair of litter bearers.

In the pic 4 folks are managing the carry rather than 6 or 8.

Has this system ever been used in the Whites?

Yes, a very efficent system. A number of NY SAR teams have one set, as well as a few Rangers have them in their trucks. Easy to make and fairly comfortablre to use. I have used one while on "mock search" training events, but not (yet) on a real rescue incident.

 

[SAR-EMT40]

We use to always carry and teach that a 1 in tube webbing could and was used to work very well to help with litters. If you were on the right side of the litter. Your right hand would have one end of the webbing with a loop in it to hold. It would go over your back on the shoulders and then down the left in front and wrapped around the handhold of the litter. it worked great to transfer the weight to your back/shoulders and was easy to adjust. Weighed nothing, and 25 ft of webbing has a ton of useful applications that being just one.

KR

 

[DayTrip]

We use to always carry and teach that a 1 in tube webbing could and was used to work very well to help with litters. If you were on the right side of the litter. Your right hand would have one end of the webbing with a loop in it to hold. It would go over your back on the shoulders and then down the left in front and wrapped around the handhold of the litter. it worked great to transfer the weight to your back/shoulders and was easy to adjust. Weighed nothing, and 25 ft of webbing has a ton of useful applications that being just one.

KR

Many moons ago I ran the delivery department at a major retailer of appliances and other products. I had a crew of 2 guys who routinely delivered 12-14 refrigerators a day in the city, often involving 2nd and 3rd floors in old apartment buildings with narrow staircases. They were two average height, unassuming men physically but they always did it in a fraction of the time of other crews. I pulled them aside one morning and asked how they were doing this and they showed me a set of straps they had made up at an equestrian tack shop. It blew me away how effortlessly they walked around with huge refrigerators. They basically shouldered the full load of the appliances and had there hands free to grab handrails, brace themselves against walls, open doors, etc. I rolled it out department wide and eventually to the entire district with these 2 guys demonstrating what they did.

Whenever I see videos of litter carries I always wonder why SAR did not use such things. It would seem so much easier and stable to carry a litter in a similar matter.

 

[SAR-EMT40]

Many moons ago I ran the delivery department at a major retailer of appliances and other products. I had a crew of 2 guys who routinely delivered 12-14 refrigerators a day in the city, often involving 2nd and 3rd floors in old apartment buildings with narrow staircases. They were two average height, unassuming men physically but they always did it in a fraction of the time of other crews. I pulled them aside one morning and asked how they were doing this and they showed me a set of straps they had made up at an equestrian tack shop. It blew me away how effortlessly they walked around with huge refrigerators. They basically shouldered the full load of the appliances and had there hands free to grab handrails, brace themselves against walls, open doors, etc. I rolled it out department wide and eventually to the entire district with these 2 guys demonstrating what they did.

Whenever I see videos of litter carries I always wonder why SAR did not use such things. It would seem so much easier and stable to carry a litter in a similar matter.

It was and we did. It was all homemade, but exactly the same concept, but a lot less unneeded stuff. At least I taught it, all the time in my classes.

KR

 

[Creag Nan Drochaid]

My heart goes out to the family of the overdue hiker.

Moving on to the rigging topic, for a few decades we have used 5' loops of 1" nylon webbing to move things in building fixtures
for erosion control etc. on trails. Logs, rocks, whatever. Choker hitch around the item, two crew per loop with maybe a 4' 10-lb bar
as a handle. Facing each other, stand forward of the loop holding it with your rearward hand. On count of three, lift and swing the
load to land between you. Step forward to good footing and repeat. Drag load where it moves easily. Several pairs may be used
for big logs e.g. 30' bridge stringers. Teamwork, all move on the count.

Over rough ground or with heavy loads, a pair of bars or peeled tree trunks may be used as rails to lessen ground resistance and
ease the work.

1" webbing is at better hardware stores. We buy from Sterling Rope in Biddeford ME.

Another tool that may be useful: look up "forearm forklift."

 

[DayTrip]

Another tool that may be useful: look up "forearm forklift."

That foreaarm forklift looks very much like the straps my delivery guys used.