Devils Tower National Monument staff now have training in high-angle rope rescue, thanks to a two-week course completed in October.
Instructors of Rigging for Rescue from Ouray, Colo., taught the technical ropework seminar at the monument, a news release said. Rigging for Rescue instructors taught fundamentals of rope rescue during the first week. Self-rescue and small-teams response was taught in week two.
“With the 3-5 thousand people climbing the Tower every year, we need to be ready, and this seminar was a big step in the right direction,” Will Butler, the search and rescue coordinator and park ranger at Devils Tower, said in the release. “Keeping up with a training regimen is vital to keep our skills sharp. It’s not if but when we will be putting these types of skills to use to save a life.”
Many hours focused on rescue scenarios, culminating with instruction on rescuing an injured person from the top of Devils Tower, using “hundreds of meters of rope and a guiding line aerial ropeway suspension system,” the release reported.
“This system utilizes pullies and rope friction devices to safely and efficiently move an individual from the danger of cliffs and steep slopes to a more level area suitable for the team to carry them out,” the release said.
Most Devils Tower search and rescue incidents involve injuries from heat exposure or trips, slips or falls on trails. Visitors should have food, water and proper equipment, the release said.
Devils Tower offers several viewing perspectives, from gazing up at the tower to driving from the park entrance to the visitor center, its website reported.
“The myriad faces of the Tower offer us many perspectives of the geologic formation. To truly see the Tower, one must observe it from all perspectives,” the website said.
