‘It could have turned bad real easy,’ after man lost in Whatcom County back country
A near tragedy in the Whatcom County back country was averted when members of the Bellingham Mountain Rescue Council managed to find and lead a splitboarder who became lost near Artist Point to safety Sunday evening.
“It was a great outcome,” Bellingham Mountain Rescue Council’s Chuck Foster told The Bellingham Herald. “It could have turned bad real easy, because he didn’t have long when we found him.”
Despite Sunday’s happy outcome, Foster said everyone who heads out into the back country this winter should take some valuable lessons from the experience.
Bellingham Mountain Rescue received notification at approximately 5:30 p.m. Dec. 27 of a man who had become lost while splitboarding — a snowboard that can be separated into two ski-like halves and used to climb in back country settings — outside the Mt. Baker Ski Area near Artist Point, Foster reported.
Once he realized he was in trouble, the man first called his sister but asked her not to call 911, Foster said, adding that the man told his sister his phone’s battery was near expiring. The sister waited a bit and then called 911.
When the person who needs assistance calls 911, “we can get a ping from that location,” Foster said. “Since he didn’t call, we couldn’t get his exact location.”
Based on information it received from the sister, Bellingham Mountain Rescue began searching in the Swift Creek drainage area, which is an area below Artist Point that many people experience problems in, Foster said. The Mt. Baker Ski Area attempted to aid in the search, launching a drone with high-resolution and infrared cameras.
Fortunately, the man’s phone had enough power and he eventually placed a call to the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office’s Search and Rescue Deputy, who told him to hang up and call 911 immediately, Foster said.
When he did that, search crews were able to ping his location and find he was actually in a different area than expected above Artist Point, Foster said.
Search crews went up towards the new location and shot off a flare, which the man was able to see and call out at approximately 9:30 p.m., Foster said. Crews located the man hypothermic and near Ptarmigan Ridge Trail, sheriff’s office spokesperson Deb Slater told The Herald.
“It appears that at some point he abandoned his equipment and tried to walk or swim back uphill in the snow,” Foster said. “When we got to him, he was shut down from cold and exhaustion, and he just wasn’t going any further.”
Foster said it is important that back country enthusiasts always keep their gear, because “as soon as you take off your skis or snowboard, you’re going to sink in and there’s no way you’re going to get out.”
Rescue crews helped get the man into some dry clothing, Foster said, and gave him a set of snowshoes, helped him back to the Mt. Baker aid room and sat with him until he was fully warmed and able to drive himself home at 12:30 a.m. Monday.
“It was the one night in a long time when it was clear and calm — it was a beautiful night, so he was lucky in a lot of different ways,” Foster said.
In addition to immediately calling 911 if you become lost and keeping your equipment, Foster said it’s also important to always take a head lamp and a partner when you head out into Whatcom County’s back country during the winter.
“It may be tempting to go by yourself, but especially as a beginner, don’t do it,” Foster said. “Make sure you always have a partner who can help you out.”
This story was originally published December 29, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
