This article published September 21, 2000 in the Mammoth Times tells the story of ops00-24 on September 9, 2000.
A 57-year-old Southern California man, out for some late night stargazing, suffered only minor injuries after plummeting more than 200 yards in his Jeep Cherokee down a steep face of Lee Vining Canyon off Hwy 120 September 9.
Apparently after leaving his campsite at Tioga Lake around 3:30 a.m., the man drove east on Hwy 120 heading down Lee Vining Canyon. Just above Warren Fork (Around 9,200 feet), he pulled over to the right of the road at a speed estimated at 45 mph. He apparently could not see the cliff before him and failed to break before reaching its edge.
"He said he just wanted to look at the stars," said Tammy Agard, an EMT with the Lee Vining Volunteer Fire Department.
Agard was one of the first to arrive at the scene after the man and the car were noticed around 10 a.m. by some motorists who stopped to look at the view of the Canyon.
"I was shocked to find that he had been there since 3:30 and in such good condition given the circumstances," said Agard. "He was even able to crawl out of the car and yell to other motorists up on the highway."
The man's car was demolished after rolling and before coming to rest on some car-sized boulders. If the vehicle had gone another 50 yards, it would have fallen off another ledge and further down the canyon. Personal belongings were strewn over the side of the cliff, along with pieces of the car.
Suffering a broken ankle, chest pains, and a gash over his left eye, the man was fully conscious when rescue workers arrived. After spending over 7 hours on the rocky slope of the canyon, the man did not appear to be suffering from exposure. After treating the victim's injuries, rescue workers put him in a litter and carefully pulled him up the steep slope to the highway. At 12:10 p.m., a Care Flight helicopter was brought in from Reno, Nev., and the victim was flown to Washoe Medical center in Reno.
"Fortunately he was wearing his seatbelt," said Lee Vining Volunteer Fire Department Chief Tom Strazdins, who supervised the rescue operations.
Responding to the accident were several agencies including the Lee Vining Volunteer Fire Department, California Highway Patrol, Mono County Search and Rescue, Mono County Paramedics, Mono County Sheriff's Department and Caltrans.
"There is no sign of drug or alcohol use," said CHP officer Mike Schad. "He just was not paying attention to what he was doing." A handgun was found among the debris but the CHP had no comment on its presence. MT