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Show Hoping to use it to drop messages to the search party, officials at the lodge requested the helicopter. The six men sent to aid rescue operations by the area operator arrived at the slide area around 4: 30 p. m. just as T. D.' s body was being removed from the second avalanche. A searcher, randomly probing likely areas in the bottom of the slide, had hit something that felt like a body. Digging down, they found T. D. He had been buried about forty minutes, with his head under nearly five feet of snow. His skis, still on his feet, were only about two feet under the surface. He had been bleeding from the mouth and his face was a dark blue color. Although there was no question about his being dead, artificial respiration was administered for a time variously estimated as a half hour to an hour and a half. The relief party continued on to the other slide to join the search for Dr. E. They were able to provide some relief for the members of the first party and the two men who had been touring with Dr. E. Back at the first avalanche, T. D. was finally given up for dead and his body was wrapped in several parkas. Due to the approaching darkness and hazardous conditions, it was decided to delay removal of the body until the next day. Worried that, if the searchers remained in the area any later, they would be in great danger, the rescue leader suggested that all personnel in the area return to the lodge and postpone the search for Dr. E. until the next day. One of Dr. E.' s companions urged the group to remain just long enough to complete searching the last thirty feet of the slide area. Eventually, on B. B.' s suggestion, about ten men left, though all ten did not leave at once, but departed in smaller groups at variously spaced time intervals. Nine men remained to continue searching for Dr. E. The group under B. B. arrived back at the lodge between 5: 30 and 5: 45 p. m., just as the helicopter and the district ranger arrived. Both B. B. and the district ranger were apprehensive about the helicopter triggering additional slides. Advising against its use, they suggested that the helicopter be returned to the Base. At 7: 05 p. m., they learned by flashlight code that the searchers had recovered Dr. E's body. Disregarding the sheriff's flashlight code message to leave the area, the small group had remained at the avalanche, probing the debris for any sign of Dr. E. One of the men had a miner's light which proved of great value in the search effort. After probing about ten feet more, they discovered Dr. E.' s body, four and one- half feet under the surface. There was no sign of prior movement around the victim, and there was no ice mask over his face. Rescuers dug the body from the snow and examined it carefully for any sign of life. Finding none, they tied the hands and arms across the chest and wrapped the body, planning to recover it the next day. The nine men then numbered off and started back to the lodge where it was thought that only six men had been left at the scene. The group remained together, stopping several times to count off, thus making sure that no one was lost. They returned safely to the shelter around 8: 30 p. m. 43 |
