In the Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas, courageous rescue crews fight against severe weather to save the life of a lost hiker.#MissingPerson #Texas #El PasoTX #News
EL PASO, TX—A hiker who was missing in the bitterly cold Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas is alive today because of the prompt actions of rescue crews on the ground and in the air, who battled through severe weather. The hiker suffered from hypothermic symptoms after becoming separated from their group on a mountain trail, and rescue operations, which involved numerous agencies and a great deal of coordination, intensified.
The Search Begins
The event happened on Saturday while a group of hikers were descending Guadalupe Peak. One person broke away from the rest of the group and was reported missing that night.
Teams from the Texas Department of Public Safety and the National Park Service joined park rangers in their search for the hiker, which was launched right away.
Rescue Operations and Challenges
Around 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, a CBP Air and Marine Operations (AMO) AS350 helicopter crew was able to locate the hiker. However, a direct helicopter evacuation was not possible due to bad weather and low visibility.
After that, the rescue effort shifted to ground operations, with U.S. Border Patrol Search Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) agents trekking over the difficult terrain for two hours in order to get to the hiker who had become stuck.
Hiker s Condition and Final Rescue
The hiker was showing signs of hypothermia when the BORSTAR agents arrived on the scene. The agents immediately jumped into action, supplying food and water, a fire, and dry clothing.
When temperatures dropped to the upper 20s Fahrenheit and there was a lot of snow, medical attention was also started.
With temperatures in the upper 20s Fahrenheit, the weather was bitterly cold. “Our BORSTAR agents put in a lot of physical work to help rescue the hiker because of the heavy snowfall,” stated Ricardo Cardiel, Acting Special Operations Supervisor for the Special Operations Detachment, El Paso Sector.
The hiker was successfully evacuated down the mountain and given to waiting emergency medical personnel after the helicopter crew returned as the weather improved. After then, the hiker was taken to a nearby hospital for medical attention.
RELATED TOPICS: Texas, Missing Persons, Rescues, and Accidents
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