Caledonia Argus

Hiker rescued at Beaver Park

Posted: 3/30/04

By David Heiller
Argus News Editor

Caledonia Fire Department members started keeping nylon straps in their pockets to use for dragging purposes at the suggestion of member Mike Meiners in January.

That little tip came in handy in a rescue at Beaver Creek Valley State Park on March 19.

Fire department members used that webbing to make a harness to put around a 71-year-old Minneapolis man who was stranded on a steep, muddy hillside.

They then used a series of rope maneuvers, and good old man-power, to guide him to the ground.

The situation came up at about 3 p.m. that Friday afternoon when Tom and Virginia Kern were hiking at the park.

Tom said on March 23 that they were about a mile from park headquarters when they came to a stream. Tom wanted to avoid crossing the stream twice, so he went off to the side of it on a hillside. Virginia went to the bottom right away, but Tom didnít, and he soon found himself on a steep and slippery hillside.

He thought he could get down, but he slipped and grabbed hold of a tree.

Thereís where his good sense kicked in, and where the fire department comes in. He decided to stay put.

Virginia went to park headquarters and told manager Roger Heimgartner what had happened. Heimgartner went to the spot and saw that Kern was hanging on to a tree about eight inches in diameter, and about 40 feet above the valley floor.

Heimgartner called 9-1-1, which dispatched the Caledonia Fire Department and the Caledonia ambulance after a phone call to Houston to see if they had any trained rock climbers, which they did not.

All the rescue workers rode to the scene in ATVs and a park vehicle. It was a team effort from that point, with four rescue workers above Kern and four below.

They tied a harness around Kern, and Jim Houdek tied himself to Kern to keep him upright for the trip to the bottom. Gordy Becker guided a rope around a tree above them, then workers lowered them down from below. Jesse Peterson was half way up the hill to guide the rope. Mark Schwebach, Jason Leahy, and Tom Esch fed out the the rope to lower Kern and Houdek down, with Andy Heisler, Mike Meiners, and Chuck Gavin at the other end.

EMTs from the ambulance, Bob Lemke and Traci Heaney were on the scene too in case of an injury.

Fire chief Chuck Gavin, who supervised the rescue, said something like this had never come up before, although he and Heimgartner had talked about it.

Gavin said it went well, especially with the webbing harness.

Kern was impressed with the firemenís efforts. ìThey came along like the U.S. Marines.î

ìI was most thankful,î Kern said of his rescuers. ìThey were very professional.î

Kern was tempted to try the descent on his own, but the fact that it was a sheer drop off of about 15 feet and the bank was muddy discouraged him. ìI donít have the sense of balance anymore. I was afraid theyíd have to carry me out.î

He emerged with a stiff back and a red face -- he said he was embarrassed. He was glad that he had good hiking boots on. He didnít get cold, and had gloves and water.

And he offered this advice to hikers: never hike alone, and if you have to double back, do it.

ìWe are going to go back and finish that hike,î Kern said. They are taking part in a state park hiking program in which you hike trails and find clues. This was number 41 of 65 state parks that they are exploring.

ìItís a very, very pretty park, as are all the parks in the state. Itís a shame they have to cut back.î

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