The Mt. Tyndall incident

The authors describe the 53-hour rescue of a 6-foot, 1-inch tall, 250-pound hiker in the face of harsh environmental conditions in Sequoia National Park. This 43-year-old man fell 25 feet, injured his leg, and was noted to be hypothermic and hypovolemic. Weather, altitude, and the patient's size delayed and complicated his evacuation. After being carried down 1,500 vertical feet, he was hoisted into a hovering helicopter and flown to University Medical Center in Fresno, California. On arrival, the patient was determined to have a comminuted subtrochanteric right femur fracture, which was ultimately repaired surgically. The authors also discuss some of the unique aspects of wilderness and National Park Service EMS.