Glenville-Cashiers Rescue Squad rescues “Starshine” ice climber
At approximately 2:03 p.m. on Feb. 14, the Glenville-Cashiers Rescue Squad responded to a call involving a report of an injured ice climber that had fallen 80 feet. The reported area of the incident was the “Starshine” ice flow on the flank of Devils Court House and Whiteside Mountain.
The report indicated that the subject was accompanied by an un-injured female climber.
“Upon receiving the call-out, the Glenville-Cashiers Rescue Squad activated its specialized High Angle and Alpine Search & Rescue Team (“SAR”),” said Glenville-Cashiers Rescue Squad public information officer Nat Turner. “By mutual aid, the Squad was also assisted by members from Highlands Fire & Rescue and the Cashiers-Glenville Fire Department.”
The Squad deployed an advanced “search drone” equipped with thermal imaging to locate the climbers. After pinpointing their location, responders carried out a technical rescue, securing the injured climber in a titanium Stokes basket and administering medical care. Using the basket’s wheel kit, they transported him 1.5 miles through the forest, across a river and through a stream to a staging area, arriving at 5:45 p.m., where an ambulance awaited.
The individual is expected to make a full recovery.
“Starshine is one of the best known and most difficult ice climbs in the southeastern United States. The climb should only be attempted by expert mountaineers, and in sub-freezing and stable conditions, which was not the case in this event,” said Mark Lassiter, Captain of the High Angle and Alpine Search and Rescue Team. “The injured person is extremely fortunate that the Glenville-Cashiers Rescue Team performed this rescue quickly & flawlessly, a testament to the many hours of constant training and dedication.”
Chief Jeff Stewart thanked the community for its generous donations, which funded equipment such as the drone, as well as the Squad’s volunteers and full-time members, who dedicate countless hours to preparing for situations like this.
“We’re very grateful for this community that helps us and the volunteers are a phenomenal group of people,” said Stewart. “They [the volunteers] religiously train once a month…and then the community comes along and helps provide equipment that we drastically need to help do the job better.”
Turner said the Squad had previously rehearsed this type of call at “Starshine”, replicating a similar scenario in winter conditions to gain hands-on experience.
- Mitch Stone
reporter@highlandsnews.com