For those of you who haven't been following updates on the search for missing NAU student, 20-year-old Bryce Gillies, in Grand Canyon, I wanted to let you know that, sadly, his body was found this morning in the Bonita Creek drainage on the north side of the Canyon following yesterday's discovery of some personal items, including a backpack, nearby.
You can read the breaking news story from the Arizona Daily Sun here: Body of missing backpacker found
I'd been hoping there was some way this mission would have a happy ending, listening to radio traffic daily from the Grand Canyon for any hint of what was happening, but that happy ending wasn't to be. As someone said to me today when I told them the news, "We can love the Canyon, but the Canyon is indifferent."
These are my stories as a volunteer member of the Sheriff's Search and Rescue team in Coconino County, Arizona. I'll share what it's like to go from a beginner with a lot to learn to an experienced and, hopefully, valuable member of the team, as well as the missions, training, and other activities along the way.
Young Hiker Missing In Grand Canyon
Yesterday, a news release was put out by Grand Canyon National Park regarding possibly as many as four missing hikers. Last I heard, technical rescue personnel were en route, some from Zion National Park, possibly to be inserted by helicopter into a remote and rugged area.
The news from 7/22 release begins:
Grand Canyon, Ariz. – At approximately 7:20 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21, the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a report that at least one young man, and possibly as many as three, were overdue from a backpacking trip at Grand Canyon National Park.
The young men are reported to have left on a trip to the Deer Creek/Thunder River area on Saturday after reading about the trip in a magazine. According to the reporting party, the father of one of the young men, his son had stated that he would be back on Monday but did not return. Further investigation revealed that there were as many as four young men in the hiking party. All are in their early 20s, and all are believed to be students at Northern Arizona University. It was also determined that this group did not have a backcountry permit." Read more....
Update 2 p.m. on 7/23: According to more breaking news from the Arizona Daily Sun, it appears there's one hiker missing, not three or four. The friends thought to possibly be missing also have been contacted. Read more here: Overdue Canyon Hiker An NAU Student
This is the young man they're looking for, NAU student Bryce Gillies:
Anyone who believes they have seen Gillies since Saturday is encouraged to contact the National Park Service at 928-638-7805.
The news from 7/22 release begins:
Grand Canyon, Ariz. – At approximately 7:20 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21, the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a report that at least one young man, and possibly as many as three, were overdue from a backpacking trip at Grand Canyon National Park.
The young men are reported to have left on a trip to the Deer Creek/Thunder River area on Saturday after reading about the trip in a magazine. According to the reporting party, the father of one of the young men, his son had stated that he would be back on Monday but did not return. Further investigation revealed that there were as many as four young men in the hiking party. All are in their early 20s, and all are believed to be students at Northern Arizona University. It was also determined that this group did not have a backcountry permit." Read more....
Update 2 p.m. on 7/23: According to more breaking news from the Arizona Daily Sun, it appears there's one hiker missing, not three or four. The friends thought to possibly be missing also have been contacted. Read more here: Overdue Canyon Hiker An NAU Student
This is the young man they're looking for, NAU student Bryce Gillies:
Anyone who believes they have seen Gillies since Saturday is encouraged to contact the National Park Service at 928-638-7805.
And More Practice
Just thought I'd share some photos my husband took while a few of my teammates and I were practicing "hot changeovers" on the ropes in the SAR building. My husband, by the way, has decided to apply to be on the team. Seeing all this tech stuff lately and constantly hearing my stories over the past couple of years has finally gotten to him.
Here, I've rigged myself up for the ascent with my rappel rack attached to my harness, ready for the changeover, and a Prusik for a self-belay. My teammate Marty then does a safety check before I go up the rope.
But we don't have to go up very far to practice the changeover.
Next, I've rigged up my rappel rack and tied it off. Now I have to transfer my weight off my ascenders and onto the rack before I can descend. Sometimes that's easier said than done. Can you see I've been sweating on this attempt?
See the reflection on this one? My husband was getting creative with our point-and-shoot.
This coming weekend, we have another field session where we'll learn how to do pick-offs. That is, how to pick someone off a cliff or wall and bring them to the ground (or back up, I suppose) without the use of a litter, in the event their injuries aren't serious or they're stranded somehow.
I'm also ordering some gear, including an actual rescue harness rather than the recreational climbing harness I've been using (which just doesn't cut it for rescue work), a commercially sewn chest harness rather than the improvised one I'd made of webbing, a couple of Prusik sets, a helmet, and some locking carabiners. It was okay to use team gear for the Academy, but we need to have some of our own equipment for the proficiency test and beyond if we want to be active members of the tech team. Which I want to be.
Here, I've rigged myself up for the ascent with my rappel rack attached to my harness, ready for the changeover, and a Prusik for a self-belay. My teammate Marty then does a safety check before I go up the rope.
But we don't have to go up very far to practice the changeover.
Next, I've rigged up my rappel rack and tied it off. Now I have to transfer my weight off my ascenders and onto the rack before I can descend. Sometimes that's easier said than done. Can you see I've been sweating on this attempt?
See the reflection on this one? My husband was getting creative with our point-and-shoot.
This coming weekend, we have another field session where we'll learn how to do pick-offs. That is, how to pick someone off a cliff or wall and bring them to the ground (or back up, I suppose) without the use of a litter, in the event their injuries aren't serious or they're stranded somehow.
I'm also ordering some gear, including an actual rescue harness rather than the recreational climbing harness I've been using (which just doesn't cut it for rescue work), a commercially sewn chest harness rather than the improvised one I'd made of webbing, a couple of Prusik sets, a helmet, and some locking carabiners. It was okay to use team gear for the Academy, but we need to have some of our own equipment for the proficiency test and beyond if we want to be active members of the tech team. Which I want to be.
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