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Missing 23 year-old Hiker on Mt. RainierPierce, WA Mission Report by Chris Berryman
The unit was contacted by the Pierce county Department of Emergency Management at 5:00 p.m. on the 19th of October to help in the search for a lost 21-year-old female lost on the Loop trail on in Mt. Rainier National Park. Sarah Heitman a University of Puget Sound student had been scheduled to complete a 33 mile hike on the Mt. Loop trail on Tuesday the 17th. When she did not return a search by National Park rangers began on Thursday. A callout was made and seven team members responded: Chris Berryman (OL), Roger and Maria Ternes, Lindsey Warren, Greg Lang and Rick Wire. They met at the cache at 6:45 a.m. and proceeded to the Carbon River entrance to the Park. After a briefing by Park Rangers they split into three teams: Chris Berryman( TL), Greg Lang, and Lindsey Warren, were to search Northern loop/Wonderland trail from toe of Carbon Glacier to Mystic Lake, search around the lake then spend the night. Roger Ternes( TL) and Maria Ternes, were to search Wonderland trail from Mowich Lake to Ipsut Creek campground. Rick Wire TL and Ken Capron were to search Wonderland trail from Ipsut Creek campground to Mowich Lake. Around mid morning Sarah was spotted by park rangers searching by helicopter. On the third day of her hike snowfall obliterated the trail and Heitman had set up camp on an open river bed to wait for rescue or until she could find her way out. A park ranger said Heitman told rescuers that she read and slept a lot in her tent during that time as she waited for rescue. All team members were contacted to return to search base. They all returned to the cache by 7:00 p.m. that night. |
