Woman breaks leg on trans-Sierra ski trip. Madera sheriff launches rescue at 10,500 feet

A six-day ski trip across the Sierra was cut short for a Seattle woman this week after she broke her leg in a fall along the Minarets range in the Sierra National Forest.

A helicopter was called in and she was airlifted into Mammoth Lakes, where she was then taken to the hospital for medical care.

The woman, identified by the Madera County Sheriff’s Office as a 35-year old from Seattle, was on day two of a six-day guided ski trip with four others along the crest of the Sierra Nevada.

The injury left her unable to continue and left the group stuck at 10,500 feet in elevation, less than three miles from Mount Ritter, the highest peak in Madera County.

The trip’s guide used a personal locating beacon and two-way satellite text messaging to reach the sheriff’s office, which deployed its search and rescue team. Through the messaging, the guide was able to aid search and rescue with crucial information on the injury, the group’s location and weather conditions.

Because of the remote location of the group the Madera County SAR team requested helicopter support from the California Highway Patrol.

“Teamwork makes these incidents come together and allows us to serve those in need at the highest capacity,” Madera County Sheriff Tyson Pogue said in a post on Facebook. “We are grateful this was a successful mission, and appreciate the partnership and collaborative efforts between our regional allied agencies.”

This story was originally published March 31, 2021 at 11:08 AM.