A 13-year-old resident of Bountiful is in stable condition at Calgary’s Foothills Medical Centre after being rescued in the dark of night early on Friday.
Leroy Palmer sustained serious but not life-threatening injuries and was evacuated via Creston and Cranbook airports after spending about 12 hours at an altitude estimated at 4,600 metres by RCMP Const. Morgan Littlejohn.
Palmer was apparently climbing the steep cliffs of Mount Thompson when he lost his footing and slid or fell about 100 metres before coming to rest in a difficult area to access.
“Fortunately, Leroy’s brother was able to locate him, and then he sent out cellphone photos of the location, which aided search and rescue technicians in reaching the injured boy,” Littlejohn said today.
Creston RCMP and Creston Valley Search and Rescue personnel were aided by a Canadian Forces team from Comox, which arrived in a helicopter and fixed wing aircraft.
“The search was complicated by the fact that some males — adults and teens — from the Bountiful community had gone up the mountain on their own in an attempt to locate the boy,” Littlejohn said.
The rescue efforts became more dramatic when a service dog, Art, and his handler needed assistance in getting down from the mountain. They had arrived straight from another search effort near Castlegar before heading up Mount Thompson.
“We thought the dog was dead — he was so exhausted he couldn’t walk or respond to people around him,” Littlejohn said. “It was only when I put a bowl of water near his head that I realized Art was still alive.”
A veterinarian was called out to treat the dog for dehydration and exhaustion. Its handler, Const. Bruce Mihalcheon, sustained a leg injury during the search.
“Creston RCMP would like to thank the members of the public who assisted in getting Const. Mihalcheon and his dog off the mountain,” Cpl. Charlotte Joa said. “It was a very difficult night for everyone involved.”
Palmer remains in Calgary, where he is being treated for multiple injuries.