*File photo of a crevasse
It happened again. But this time it was worse.
On April 6, a group of alpine touring skiers were descending a glacier not far from Maniitsoq on the west coast. It was a beautiful afternoon. And then the ground gave way. One of the party fell suddenly with the ice and snow. Fifteen metres in a moment that changed everything. He lay gasping for breath with broken collar bones and ribs, a fractured spine, and collapsed lungs. The rest of the party desperately sprang into action.
This was an organised group. They were based off a ship, with a very experienced skipper. Fortunately there was a nearby heli-skiing group, so a helicopter was available in Maniitsoq – about twenty minutes flight away – and the pilot was ready to help. But instead of using the locally available resources, the police instructed the pilot not to fly, instead choosing a longer, more complex option.
There were multiple communications between the police and the skipper of the ship. The police asked for the injured man’s social security number, whether he was a local or a tourist. When informed he was local, they said ‘there is a different procedure for locals’. Apparently a slower one. Four hours later, in darkness, the man was air lifted from the glacier in a Sikorsky 61. This a far less suitable helicopter for a glacier rescue than the AS350 that was ready hours earlier. And the rescue helicopter was sent without a stretcher. By this time, aside from his existing injuries, the man was hypothermic. And the five others who had been caring for him during the torturous wait? They were left to descend the glacier in the dark.
So here we are again, almost two years on, and what has changed (see Falling Through the Cracks)? At least now I am slightly more wise. Now I know that I live in a country where, in emergency situations, people are treated differently depending on who they are. And I know exactly what I will do if I am in a similar situation again. I will not call the police. I will hit the button on my emergency beacon and I will wait. Without information on who I am or what my condition is, without the ability to discriminate, it’s more likely that Search and Rescue* will be the ones to rescue me, and without delay.
