Aerial rescue techniques?

Norm,

Yeah we were using MA to pick the dummy off of his ascenders and all but what I was asking was how would other people go about getting there, setting up, descending etc. And doing it off of that ascent line incase we didnt have time to set another line next to it.

What I was doing was ascending up below the dummy with the same set up, getting as close as I could underneath his ascenders and spiking the ascent line below mine. Then setting up a shortened version of a footlock prusik above his system with a micro pulley for my drt climbing system. Used MA (our lanyards for the most part) to pick the dummy out of his system, attach his harness to ours and unclip him from his system. Finally, descend on my drt system with a figure 8 below my hitch climber to give some friction for both our weights. Not really sure if its all koser or not and thats why I was posting to see what anyone else was doing and if they had any thoughts or ideas about doing it differently.

Thanks,
Tyler
 
I love seeing all the thought and effort that is being put into this topic. I would like to stress, however, that I feel this should not be your number one and/or only concern when practicing and preparing for an emergency. Remember, there are medical rescue professionals that may be assisting and/or the rescue part may not be immediately necessary (it will depend on the situation).Obviously, chances are they have no clue about our climbing systems, so we need to practice. But, what I would like to stress is that speed and victim extraction should not be our number one concern when preparing for rescues. Make sure your knowledge of first aid and trauma care are a priority.

Thanks,
 
[ QUOTE ]
Heres the set-up we are using, i believe many of you are probably already with familiar with it but if not heres a pic. Just curious to see if anyone else has had any inovative ideas about performing a rescue when someone is on this set-up. We realized how hard it was so we're planning on setting up a double line ascent off of a single line anchor to the base of the tree with a gri-gri for belaying.

I would appreciate any thoughts, opinions or ideas!

[/ QUOTE ]

Rather than adding additional elements to your access set up, strip it down to what it is you have to deal with. You basically have a guy hanging on an ascender on a single line. While being able to lower from the ground is always the fastest way, if this is not concievable for some reason, you could take the gri-gri up with you. Access the individual however you are going to either on their line or another. When you get there attach yourself to them via a tether from harness to harness. Allow for some working room here. Set the gri-gri up "upside down" on the handle of the ascender with a short rope in it with a locking carabiner on the load end and a double fishermans on the other. If you carry a rope lanyard with a pulley and hitch on your saddle you can just remove that and use it. Attach the locking carabiner to the victim's harness. You now have a counterbalance system set up.

Set up a descending device on the single line below the victim's ascenders and lock it off, or install a double rope system that is anchored somewhere close. You can use the victim's ascender for this as well, or install a prussik and carabiner above it.

Put yourself on the counterbalance system and use your body weight to lift the victim up. Snug up the descender or the double rope system so that there is no slack, making sure to lock off the descender again if that is what you are using. Release the counter balance and the victim should settle onto the descender or double rope system.

Adjust the tether between your two harnesses appropriately so that you can control the rate of descent and stabilize or move the victim around a limb if you need to.

There are, of course many other ways you could do it, this is just a variation on a theme. When using SRT practices either for access or for working the tree I firmly believe getting someone off a single line should be part of the tool kit.
A gri-gri is a good tool to have for this, as well as many other things like a lightweight 4:1 for those tricky lifts that is ready to go in a little ditty bag. However, you should be able to do it with what you normally have on your harness. For me, in addidion to my rope lanyard and climbing hitches this is usually 1 spare aluminum locker, one spare steel locker and a nylon runner.

I hope this made sense, it's easier to show than to explain. Good luck!
 
AspenArbo makes a great point. Speed is not of the primary concern because the last thing you want to do is become a second victim, and turn an aerial rescue into a double rescue. Become CPR certified and First Aid certified, and practice different scenarios. Because, god forbid, if you actually need to do an aerial rescue, you need to know exactly what you are doing.
 
Another way Ed showed me at a seminar he refered to as the 'Balancer Technique' for DdRT. you have your DdRT setup as usual, but instead of your carribiner termination, you have a prussik, so you have a couple feet hanging below you. you attach that end to the victim, and then descend on that end (opposite of what you normally would). I hope this makes sense, and I will try to put up a picture as soon as I have a couple minutes.
 
Would anybody be able to post a video of the "pick-off" counter balance rescue? The pictures on that page really aren't the best and I'd like to actually see how its done. The pictures are like the underpants gnomes from south park.

"Step 1. Collect Underpants... Step 2. ... Step 3. Profit."

I saw Ed Carpenter do this at the TCIA show, but I just can't for the life of me remember how to do it.
 
I don't have pictures for the "balance" method. But its basically just attaching two climbers to the same system. both climbers attached to the working end, one with a termination knot and the other with a friction hitch, and both climbers having a friction hitch for descent on the fall of the rope. The top hitch collapses the bottom hitch and both climbers come down. It can be done by climbing SRT up an injured climbers tail as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Back
Top Bottom