Basic's Class in Full Swing

This year's Mountain Rescue Basic's class is in full swing! Fourteen people were selected out of our initial interview process to attend this class, which will run until the end of November. Future volunteers will be selected from the participants who successfully complete the class.

During the Basic's class, attendees learn fundamental mountain rescue techniques that are used by the Unit to conduct its missions. The first is being able to physically do the job. Here's the class participating in a PT session.

Once PT is complete, the class typically hits the classroom where they are exposed to the lesson of the day.

After a specific topic is covered, attendees head outside where they have the opportunity to learn hands-on techniques. In this picture, the group is building an anchor system:

And finally, the reward. Here's a picture of one of the class members rappelling off of the tower.

So far, the class has learned how to tie essential knots, including the water knot and the family of figure-8's. Class members have also been exposed to the rescue equipment that is used by the Unit, anchor systems, raising and lowering systems, and have had the opportunity to rappel using both low and high anchor points.

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Missing Teen Hiker Found

This morning the body of missing Henderson hiker, Shane McNeil, was found near Boy Scout Canyon, located south of the Hoover Dam.

The Search and Rescue Command Post was staged near the Lake Mead Marina. Searchers covered hundreds of miles of rugged terrain by land, water, and air, including all canyons and areas located both west and east of the Colorado River.

LVMPDSAR would like to thank the National Park Service as well as all search participants for their tireless effort the past 3 days.

Click here for the latest news and video coverage.

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Search for Missing Teen

The Mountain Rescue Team was called out early Sunday morning to help search for a missing Henderson Teen. The teen, who had plans to hike from Henderson to the Arizona side of the Hoover Dam, was last heard from at 7:00pm Saturday night. As of today, the search continues.

News coverage of the search can be viewed by clicking on the links below.

Channel 13

Channel 8

Channel 5

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Guide Line Training

Guide lines are a useful tool to use when there is a need to move an object from a high point to a low point while avoiding multiple obstacles. Last weekend, the Mountain Rescue team headed to Willow Springs to practice using a guide line to lower a Rescuer and patient from a high point to a low point.

Here's a shot of the team setting up the high-point systems:

Rescuers placing a victim into the litter and attaching to the main and belay. Once the Rescuer and victim are securely in the system, they will be attached to the guide line (white rope):


Rescuer moving the patient over the edge with the help of an edge person:
Continuing to move the patient over the edge:

The Rescuer and victim have transitioned the edge. The guide line is the white rope running from the high point to the low point. In this case, the anchor used as the low point is a Unit truck.

After multiple evolutions using and fine-tuning the guide line application, the team hiked the White Rock Loop, a 6.5 mile hike that begins and ends in Willow Springs. It was a perfect day to be outside!

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Two New Rescue Pilots!

It takes thousands of hours of flight time and hundreds hours of training missions to become a rescue pilot with LVMPDSAR. This week, two pilots successfully completed their final night-time operation missions in order to make it official. Congratulations to our two new rescue pilots!

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2010 Mountain Rescue Recruitment

The 2010 Mountain Rescue Recruitment started out with a bang yesterday! We had numerous people come out, run our physical assessment course, and participate in our interview process.

We'd like to thank each and every one of you that submitted an interest form and participated in the first step of our recruitment efforts. Everyone came out and gave 100%, which we love to see!

This year, we received nearly 75 applications and are in the process of choosing around 15 people to attend our Basics course, which will teach each student basic mountain rescue and technical rope rescue techniques that are used by our Unit. This competitive process potentially gives each class attendee the opportunity to become a member of our Mountain Rescue Unit. Without your interest and dedication, we wouldn't be able to fill open positions, so thank you again! We look forward to an exciting recruitment season!

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Helicopters Need Rest, Too

Here's a shot of the mural that's painted on the floor of our hangar:


And here's a shot of our rescue helicopters at rest:


Here's to hoping that the high's we experienced over Labor Day Weekend have come to an end for the Season!

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