Klamath River Fish Report for 2-6-2011


by Scott Caldwell
2-6-2011
Website

This past Saturday, after extensive searching, we finally found my father in-law Larry Haines around 2pm nearly frozen. His truck was found stuck in the snow, past mile marker 19 on Ball Mountain road East of Montague near Willow Creek Mountain, on Friday at about 2:00pm. A search team followed his tracks till dark that same day. The search was resumed the next morning and with the help of search and rescue teams and dogs he was located miles from his truck curled up under a tree. Larry had spent at least 2 and possibly more nights wandering out in the sub freezing temperatures before succumbing to exhaustion and curling up under that tree. He had been missing since Tuesday afternoon and had spent at least one night in his truck. He was flown off the mountain by the CHP helicopter then transfer to the Rogue Valley Medical Center helicopter at base camp. His skin was ice cold as I helped to transfer him from one helicopter to another and his pulse was around 10 beats per minutes. When he got to the Rogue Valley Medical Center and it was determined his heart rate was 22 beats per minute and his core body temp was at 68 degrees. Larry is fighting for his life as I write this article. His heart stopped while the medical staff began warming him up. Larry then had to undergo a blood warming surgery that only 60% of patients survive, in the hopes that his heart would begin beating on its own again. After the 3 plus hours of warming surgery, his heart began beating again on its own. His body is now fighting to regain the ability to sustain blood pressure on its own and slowly be weaned off the 6 super strong drugs that are helping his body create the pressure he needs to stay alive. His heart is functioning unassisted, but the rest of his body is on life support systems. The main goal right now is for Larry to regain blood pressure and at the same time hope his kidneys regain the ability to produce urine on their own. It has been one hell of time getting to this point and none of this would have been possible without the love and support of Friends, Volunteers, Search and Rescue teams, and many of our local Law Enforcement agencies and non local agencies. My Family and extended Family want all of you to know how much we appreciate all of you who helped give Larry the chance of surviving rather than dying alone on that cold mountain.Thank you Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!