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Clackamas County, Oregon
Lancaster, CA
In the early morning of August 5, 2017 Robert and his partner were dispatched to a patient that had fallen into a river while rappelling at Frustration Falls, a remote area of the Mt. Hood National Forest. The patient was reported to be in the water with a compound leg fracture. Rescuers initially estimated it would take 6-10 hours to get the injured man out of the canyon because of the sheer length of rope required. However, because of the remote location, difficult terrain and an inability to communicate by phone or radio, the rescue extended to 24 hours.
Robert hiked miles to locate the patient. Once located, Robert then began treating his injuries, administering medications and keeping the patient warm and comfortable. With no ability to communicate due to the remote location, Robert stayed with the patient until a Blackhawk helicopter could be activated to extract them the next morning.
For 17 years of Robert’s 19-year career in EMS, he has been a member of the Reach and Treat team. Robert is also an Ultra Runner and a personal trainer, and has recently started training the patient that he saved that day.