Marylin Somoano of La Canada, California was camping with her husband, 2 grand kids and 2 dogs at Hilton Lake #4 (about 5 miles in from the trail head). She was burned while trying to get her camp stove lit.
She had attached the fuel bottle to the stove and began to prime it. When she couldn't get a flame she thought that the stove and bottle weren't connected correctly. When she began to unscrew the fuel bottle the pressure released, spraying fuel on her face and neck and at the same time igniting.
She received second degree burns on her wrists, chest, face, and injury to her head, shoulder, and left ankle. The Team hiked in, arriving at the site at UTM 344138, 4149733 at 0042 on Saturday morning. They stabilized the victim, stayed with her during the night, and moved her about ΒΌ mile via wheeled litter to a meadow LZ.
CHP Helicopter H40 arrived at the victim's location at 0720, and transported her to the University Medical Center Burn Unit in Fresno.
Burned up stove
Somoano moved by litter to helicopter landing zone
Assisting Somoana into CHP helicopter
Making Somoano comfortable in CHP helicopter
Somoano viewed through helicopter canopy
Ready to head for hospital
Final team review before helicopter departs
CHP helicopter about to lift off
Wheel for litter gets a ride to trailhead
Snack break with litter on the way to trailhead
Letters from Robert and Marylin Somoano
From Robert Somoano: As you can imagine, we've been very busy, so I apologize for my late reply to you. Marylin is doing very well. The helicopter took her to the Fresno UMC Burn Center where they treated her very well. In fact, by the time we backpacked out on Saturday and got to cell phone coverage at Tom's Place, she was ready for release and to go home!! Her burns were said to be "only" 2nd degree. Since I was on the eastern side of the Sierra, her early release, while very welcome, was a logistic problem. Fortunately, my daughter in San Francisco was able to leave immediately to pick her up and bring her home to Los Angeles.
Yesterday (Monday), we went to the USC Burn Center (heavyweight burn care capabilities) for Marylin's first "scraping off" of the dead skin--very painful, even with morphine. But everything looks fine, and the doctors gave her permission to go to Tuolumne Meadows over Labor Day!! We have tons of medicines/creams, etc. and more appointments. It appears that everything we did, and your team did, at Hilton Lakes was right on.
I can't begin to thank you and your teammates for your service. If there is anything I can do, or write to, please let me know. You can count on me to spread the word of the great deeds of the Mono County Sheriff SAR team.
From Marylin Somoano. I wanted to drop you a personal note to not only thank you ALL so much for all you did for me and to also update you on my healing process. I have been SO lucky that things were not as bad as they could have been. The only potential 3rd degree burns were around my ear area, but mostly all 2nd. The healing has been better than I ever expected, so good in fact that I am now on a mini vacation (just left Tuloumne meadows and on the way to Mt Rushmore-must do things in life while you can).
I still have areas on my neck and ear that have to be debrided each day(the worst and MOST painful part of the healing process), but minor compared to original. My left hand is ok, just still healing, but not painful or have to keep bandaged. Of course my hair is quite short now, but I'm getting spoiled by the convenience. I continue to heal, the last of my "scabs" coming off, now I just have to get rid of the multi toned skin look-a minor price to pay. My hand still continues to be the lingering sore/tender area, but very minimal now. In all, I am one lucky person to have gotten such quick, excellent care. I hope we can do something for your gang sometime. My regards and beyond thanks to all involved. Thanks and God bless you all.