Badlands Search and Rescue Assists Hiker in North Unit

On September 2 at 1:46 pm Badlands Search and Rescue responded to Theodore Roosevelt National Park-North Unit, 2 miles from Oxbow Overlook on the North Achenbach Trail.

Badlands Search and Rescue (BSAR) was called out by the National Park Service for a 66 year-old female with injuries to both wrists sustained from a fall. Others with her hiking party called 911 via satellite phone and began first aid to her injuries. Weather was foggy, cloudy, with misting rain. Trail conditions were wet and muddy with a bison herd in the vicinity.

National Park Service (NPS) Rangers established incident command and deployed a team of NPS rangers, McKenzie County deputies, and BSAR members with wheeled litter. McKenzie County Ambulance was also staged at the command post at the Oxbow Overlook.

NPS had assessed the woman’s injuries and she was able to continue walking under her own power. At 3:24 p.m., responders accompanied her and her 17 person hiking party from the location back to the trailhead to ensure that all safely returned.

All parties and the patient were back at the trailhead at 4 p.m. and the injured woman was taken to a local hospital via private vehicle.

This is BSAR’s first official deployment! We operate with the NPS within the borders of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park with a good faith assistance agreement and today’s call went very smoothly.

Entities that responded to this incident: North Dakota State Radio; US National Park Service (4); McKenzie County Sheriff’s Office (2); McKenzie County Ambulance Service (3) and Badlands Search & Rescue (3).

 

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