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Recent SAR in the park?


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Just wondering if there was a SAR up on the hill yesterday..Saturday...

 

My landlords called me up after they saw something on the news about some girl being "rescued" up on the mt after "missing" for a while..and so a SAR team found her...

 

That's all I got out of the damn thing from them, go figure, it was happy hour on their clock, but I did take it seriously despite their buzz.

Just got worried, because there are a couple of bad ass girls who climb solo up on rainier, and just worried cause shit just has a way of happening...ya know?

 

Anyway.....Any input will make me feel ok about "her".

cry.gif

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Lost hiker stays put, stays alive

 

SEAN ROBINSON; The News Tribune

Published: October 21st, 2006 06:43 AM

 

LUI KIT WONG/THE NEWS TRIBUNE

Mount Rainier National Park Ranger Geoff Walker describes where rescuers found Sarah Heitman on Friday. She was lost for four days on the mountain.

Once she realized she was lost in the highlands of Mount Rainier National Park, Sarah Heitman did everything right.

 

She stopped moving, pitched a tent, divvied up her remaining food into 14 portions, read a book and waited.

 

That was Monday night. She waited four days.

 

Around 1:15 p.m. Friday, searchers found her alive and well, a mile and a half north of the Wonderland Trail, camped along Winthrop Creek.

 

“She just decided to stay put,” said park ranger Geoff Walker, who led the search that ended with Heitman’s rescue. “Exactly what we hoped a lost person would do.”

 

Heitman, a 21-year-old student at the University of Puget Sound, had started a planned four-day, 33-mile hike on Oct. 14. Her route, starting at Ipsut Creek, was supposed to take her around the Northern Loop Trail and back to her starting point by Tuesday.

 

The third day brought snow and fog. Heitman strayed from the trail.

 

“The snow obliterated the trail,” Walker said. “She just lost it. She followed the slope of the ground.”

 

No one knew she was lost. No one knew she was missing. She wasn’t due back at school until Wednesday.

 

Another smart move helped the searchers, Walker said. Before she left, Heitman told her roommates where she was going, and posted her itinerary and planned route on her door at UPS.

 

When she didn’t show up for classes Wednesday morning, her friends alerted park authorities. A team of searchers that grew to 80 combed the trail and known campsites Thursday but could not find her.

 

Friday morning, the searchers found Heitman’s footprints along Winthrop Creek, but the terrain was too treacherous to follow on foot. It was early afternoon when a helicopter spotted her tent.

 

“Scraped up, bruised up, no injuries,” Walker said, describing her condition. “She was outfitted extremely well. She had the knowledge.”

 

Heitman’s parents had been waiting at the park, fighting fear. Her father, Tim Heitman, flew out from Wisconsin. When Sarah saw him, she said, “I can’t believe you’re here.”

 

The father couldn’t speak.

 

“Pretty emotional – you see someone you thought you might never see again,” he said. “She couldn’t look any better to me right now.”

 

The elder Heitman praised park personnel repeatedly, citing not only the rescue but also their assistance during the long wait. Sarah Heitman didn’t speak to the small crowd of reporters gathered at the park. Her father said she was taking a long, hot shower.

 

He also said he was pondering Christmas gifts.

 

“I think I’ll buy her a GPS and a couple of signal flares,” he said.

 

Sean Robinson: 597-8486

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Lost hiker stays put, stays alive

 

Once she realized she was lost ...

 

She stopped moving, pitched a tent, divvied up her remaining food into 14 portions, read a book and waited.

 

“She just decided to stay put,” said park ranger Geoff Walker, who led the search that ended with Heitman’s rescue. “Exactly what we hoped a lost person would do.”

 

No one knew she was lost. No one knew she was missing. She wasn’t due back at school until Wednesday. BUT...

 

Heitman told her roommates where she was going, and posted her itinerary and planned route on her door at UPS.

 

When she didn’t show up for classes Wednesday morning, her friends alerted park authorities.

 

In my opinion, no joke, she should get a book contract and a speaking tour. She did EXACTLY what she should have done, during her trip and especially beforehand. Someone like Aaron Ralston may be impressive in the fact of his survival, but Ms. Heitman, while her tale is less lurid, is the more accomplished outdoorsman. bigdrink.gif to you, Sarah!

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