Two Stranded Climbers Rescued From Grand Teton

Rangers employed an interagency contract helicopter to rescue two stranded climbers near an ice field in the Black Ice Couloir on the Grand Teton on the evening of August 29th. Robert Campbell,  65, of Manitou Springs, Colorado, and his climbing partner, Rhoda Ullmann, 29, from Vestal, New York, became stranded at the 12,200-foot elevation sometime on Tuesday, August 28th, when Campbell pulled off a large block of rock while leading a climb and severely injured his right hand, making it difficult to continue an ascent. The two climbers were forced to spend the night on a narrow ledge before rangers were alerted to their situation on Wednesday afternoon. Teton Interagency Dispatch Center received notice at 12:55 p.m. on Wednesday from dispatchers in Teton County, Idaho, that a 911 call had been received by them reporting “cries for help” from somewhere near the North Ridge of the Grand Teton. Rangers summoned a contract helicopter and conducted an aerial reconnaissance flight at 2 p.m. to determine the source of the calls. They spotted Campbell and Ullmann, but they appeared to be descending and did not initially indicate that they were in need of assistance. Rangers made a second flight at 5 p.m. and used a “white board” placard to visually inquire about whether the couple needed help. At that time, the stranded climbers responded that they did require assistance. Three park rangers were flown to a high-elevation landing zone in Valhalla Canyon, and one was then inserted by the short-haul technique onto the narrow ledge where the climbers were located. The ranger was able to get Campbell and Ullmann into rescue evacuation suits and prepare them for a short-haul flight back to Valhalla Canyon. All three of them – the ranger and the two climbers – were then short-hauled together, in one flight, to the landing zone at Valhalla Canyon, where they could get inside the helicopter for a return flight to Lupine Meadows. Campbell was then transported by a park ambulance to St. John’s Medical Center in Jackson, where he spent the night for treatment of his injuries. Had rangers remained unaware of the climbers’ location and need for assistance, they would have spent a second difficult night stranded on the Grand Teton without basic bivouac gear. This marks the 21st major search and rescue operation in the park this year.