NEWS RELEASE

TO: FROM: SUBJECT: DATE: Flagstaff Area Media Captain Bill Morse, 928-699-4497 Mt. Elden Rescue 7-20-11

At about 10:13 this morning the Flagstaff 911 center received a cell phone report that a hiker had fallen, receiving a head wound on the Mount Elden Lookout trail near the Fat Man loop. The call was then lost and no further information was available. Members of the Flagstaff Fire Department and Guardian Medical Transport began hiking the trail in attempt to locate the victim. CCSO Search and rescue team members as well as a Guardian Air rescue helicopter were placed on alert if assistance was needed. At 10:48 the first FFD paramedics arrived with the patient to find a 64 year old female hiker that had fallen on the trail, cutting her head and losing consciousness for an unwitnessed amount of time. The patient was treated for shock, nausea and cervical spine injury with IV, medications and spinal immobilization. The helicopter was cancelled as the patient was determined to be stable enough to be carried down the steep rocky trail in a wheeled basket. The Search and Rescue team members were asked to respond to assist carrying the patient over the rocks and logs. In all it took 11 FFD personnel, 3GMT personnel and 7 CCSO S&R personnel to safely deliver the patient to the trailhead at Highway 89 at 12:41 in the afternoon. The patient is in good condition. She was transported to Flagstaff Medical Center for additional evaluation. The FFD would like to remind everyone to use the buddy system when enjoying the outdoors around our beautiful community and carry a cell phone.