California Rescue Team Saves Three Hikers

Community members in Southern Humboldt are rejoicing over the successful two-day rescue of three Southern Humboldt residents and their two dogs off a cliff near Shelter Cove.

The heroic efforts of the all-volunteer Southern Humboldt Technical Rescue team -- made up of residents and Shelter Cove Volunteer Fire Department members -- highlight the tight-knit community's grassroots support system.

"They're a great bunch of guys and gals who risk their lives," Susan L. Fox, a member of the Shelter Cove Pioneers, said Monday.

The department is largely funded through private donations and fundraisers, and coincidentally, the Pioneers have a previously scheduled chili cookoff and potluck benefit for the Shelter Cove Volunteer Fire Department set for 6 p.m. Saturday at the Shelter Cove Community Clubhouse and Fire Hall, 9126 Shelter Cove Road in Whitethorn.

Southern Humboldt Technical Rescue Chief Aurora Studebaker said she was proud of her team and glad they could save the hikers, given the terrain and conditions of the area.

"A lot of the time we're doing body recovery, and it's very disappointing," she said. "To rescue everybody safely and the dogs was amazing."

Nearly 25 people were called into action around 7 p.m. Saturday when the Humboldt County Sheriff's Department received a 911 call from stranded hikers who had gone for a hike along the beach south of Shelter Cove.

Studebaker said the high-angle rope rescue was the team's "most complex rescue" to date. It involved setting up ropelines for rescuers to rappel the hikers down a 150-foot cliff above a rising tide.

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter could not reach the hikers because of the area's terrain. The rescue team did a similar rescue near the location a few years ago and often practices in the area.

Because of the difficulty of the rescue, the team decided it would not be safe to perform the rescue at night and regrouped at 7 a.m. Sunday. Additionally, the team members decided the hikers were in a location where they could pass the night safely, according to the sheriff's office.

All the hikers -- Timothy Philips, 27, of Redway, Whitney Hacket, 25, of Briceland, and Pierce Shippan, 24, of Sutter Creek -- and their dogs were rescued by 3 p.m.

Diana Totten, the rescue team's former chief, said she was at the scene advising the team, and the hikers were all in good health when they got to the ground. The rescuers reached the hikers at about 11:45 a.m. and transported them one by one to safety.

Cheryl Antony, a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician with the fire department, said the hikers had made their way down the cliff to the beach but, faced with an incoming tide, they scrambled back up the cliff and got stuck, unable to ascend the cliff any further. They called 911, but conserved their battery by not making other calls.

Studebaker said it was fortunate the hikers had cell phones or the team might not have found them for a couple days.

"If they hadn't had cell service, we don't know when we would have gotten the call to start looking for them," she said.

Totten said the rescue was unique in that the team couldn't drop lines from the top of the cliff down to the stranded hikers and instead had to set up ropes from the beach. She said four lines were set up to provide redundancy in case one of the lines broke. The lines were 600 feet apiece.

The rescue team had to set up on either side of the cliff that the hikers were on, Studebaker said. One group was on the north side of rock handling the rope rigging while another group was on the south side setting the rope's anchor. Neither of the groups could see the hikers. Additionally, rescuers were in the water, with a rescue boat under the cliff. A rope launcher had to be used to get the line over the cliff.

Antony said that at one point, one of the ropes got caught on a sharp edge of the cliff and broke.

Totten said the rescuers were prepared and had a thought-out plan. The two who made contact with hikers brought dog treats to calm the dogs and dog harnesses for the trip down.

"You have to think outside the box," she said.

Antony said the hikers made it through the night despite having no blankets and only a little bit of fruit and water, but in the future they should make sure they pack more gear, including blankets, and stay on the trails.

"We have so many beautiful trails that are made for walking," she said.

Totten said the rescue illustrated the importance of purchasing specialized rescue equipment such as the ropes used Sunday. That equipment came from the county's Office of Emergency Services, but other equipment is purchased with funds from the Southern Humboldt Fire Chiefs Association.

Studebaker said the success of the rescue can also be attributed to the collaboration between all the agencies involved, including the volunteer fire department.

"It took working together with the department and our team to make that rescue happen," she said.