NPS Morning Report

Thursday, April 08, 2004 

INCIDENTS 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pinnacles National Monument (CA)
Rescue of Injured Climber


On Wednesday, March 31st, rangers received a report of a fallen and
unconscious climber in Fern Grotto. Climber Michael Silva and belayer
Scott Falkowski believed that they were following the Portent route on
Discovery Wall, but started to climb back down after realizing that they
were mistaken. As they were retreating, Silva slipped off rock about
five feet above his last piece of protection, an Alien one-inch cam.
The cam came out and Silva tumbled approximately 30 feet to the ground and
was knocked unconscious.  A nearby hiker ran down a trail to report the fall
to rangers. Responding park EMTs and First Responders assessed Silva,
applied a cervical collar, reduced and splinted an open fracture of his
left humerus, and packaged him in a litter. Eighteen staff members and
on-scene volunteers raced to evacuate the litter to the trailhead.
Silva was then driven to the helipad, loaded into a CALSTAR helicopter
and flown to San Jose Medical Center. His injuries included a concussion,
open fracture of the left humerus, seven cracked ribs in the front,
five cracked ribs in the back, and a collapsed and punctured lung.
Silva was put on a ventilator to assist his breathing. Two four-inch-long
metal plates and six screws were used to piece his humerus back together.
Had he not been wearing a helmet, his head injuries would undoubtedly have
been much worse. Staff members from every division in the monument
participated in the incident. [Submitted by Chief Ranger's Office]