Search and Rescue Award

Men who rescued ultramarathon runner honored

June 30--Three Visalia men were honored Wednesday by the National Park Service for their rescue of a Squaw Valley woman who fell through a snow bridge earlier this month at Sequoia National Park.Park officials presented Stefan Barycki, Christopher Edwards and Michael Voyles with NPS Search and Rescue pins during a news conference in Fresno."It's citizens like this that make the world go round," said Sequoia and Kings Canyon park superintendent...

"You don't raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they'll turn out to be heroes, even if it's just in your own eyes."

~Walter M. Schirra, Sr.~

Mineral King Rescue

“I am always doing things I can’t do. That is how I get to do them.”

~ Pablo Picasso ~

Steve and his friends frequently go hiking in the Mineral King area of the Sequoia National Park, not far from our home in Visalia, cameras and backpacks in hand. This area has just recently opened because of snow. Only Wednesdays trip turned into more than they had expected. While headed back to the car for supplies, Steve noticed a backpack on a mound of snow. After investigating area he finds a a lady had fallen 5 feet through a snow bridge over one of the creeks and into the water. She was trying to dig her way out and had been there for 3 hours. Hypothermia set in causing her to be incoherent. Steve started digging down to her, falling in himself. He and one of his friends were able to get her out while the other headed out on foot to find the rangers. They bundled her up in their clothes and another hiker came by and had a sleeping bag for her. They waited several hours before rescue arrived, only to have her decline any help.

I just can't express how proud I am of my son and his friends, Chris and Mike...

Visalia Times-Delta

Squaw Valley woman escapes entrapment under snow in creek in Sequoia

written by staff report

A Squaw Valley woman escaped serious injury Tuesday after she fell into a high sierra creek and was trapped for more than three hours under snow in the Mineral King area of Sequoia National Park, according to Dana Dierkes, spokesperson for Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks.

The 52-year-old woman told authorities she had been training for an ultra marathon. At 5:15 p.m. Tuesday the park service initiated a search and rescue for her.

She chose the Farewell Gap trail head for a solo hike Tuesday. She hiked up Farewell Canyon and crossed Franklin Creek on a snow bridge. On her return, the snow bridge collapsed under her.

She fell into Franklin Creek and traveled downstream about 30-40 feet underneath the snow, Dierkes said.

Although she could stand in the creek, she could not reach the surface of the snow. The woman dug a hole in the five feet of snow over her head using her hands.

She threw her backpack out of the hole. Luckily, other hikers spotted the pack and came closer to investigate it. By this time, the woman was incoherent, Dierkes said. She suffered from hypothermia.

One of the hikers went back to the trail head for help. Other hikers remained with her and helped her warm up.

When rangers arrived on the scene, the woman declined evacuation by helicopter and medical treatment. A ranger assisted her to the trail head.

(pictures by Steve and Chris)