UKC

Norwegians post report in to the findings from the accident on the 20th February.  

https://ulykkesdatabasen.no/ulykke/offentlig?path=%2Faccidents%2F11122%2Fpu...

"The rescue team that arrived did not seem to have experience, and lacked equipment (screws/crampons etc.) for rescue in ice. They probably wouldn't have gotten the climber up in time without the help of those present. The helicopter that arrived did not have a winch and could not be used in the rescue work. The climbers who helped shared telephone numbers and offered to share their observations, reflections and experiences with the rescue team, but were not contacted afterwards. They received no debriefing, and experienced that some facts, such as time indications were not correctly reproduced afterwards. The medical team that arrived were very professional, fast and with the right equipment. But despite the fact that the man was hypothermic, he lay with his body and head bare for 5-10 minutes after the resuscitation attempts began. When one of the climbers on site pointed this out, he was wrapped in a thermal bag and put on a hat."

Wish the victim a speedy recovery and good to see many didnt hesitate to get stuck in and help.

Was this accident discussed here when it happened? Was it a British team involved?

Scottish climber. 

It was described locally at the time as a freak accident - all we heard was that he had fallen behind the ice into water.  An horrendous position in which to find yourself, as both leader and second.  Pleased to see he seems to be making a good recovery.   It didn't sound good at the time and local news stopped once he was on the way to hospital.

The locals were all very solicitous and wanted to make sure that it wasn't our group - which it wasn't

I recall a similar case from Sweden, where the leader fell inside the icefall with the water pushing him downwards. That unfortunate situation ended in a fatality (even with rescue personnel and equipment, they were unable to recover the body quickly). Great to hear that, this case had a happier ending. 

Ironic then that Golsjuvet was effectively closed off for a couple of days this season in order to practice climber rescue techniques by the team. Further irony that the recent FB post from the rescue team suggested that all climbers should consider a climber rescue type course. Haven't done a rescue course, so don't know how useful they would be is they sorts of situations? Ie are they going to be useful for climbers falling in ice cold water? 

I was first on the scene when a climber sustained fatal injuries on Lipton in Rjukan many years ago. I noticed similarly weird things. They sent a sea king for example but then realised in the moment that it couldn't serve any purpose. One thing I noticed that was very different from the UK was that the emergency services didn't hand over full responsibility to the climbing rescue team and let them say how they wanted resources to be used. I don't know if that has changed since then. 

I don't think there are many climbers involved in mountain rescue teams in Norway. Guess it's hard to find enough local climbers in somewhere like Hemsedal. Not many climbers actually living in the vicinity. Sometimes the case of flying people in, which must add to the complexities.

Not all bad though. Read about Paula Voldner's rescue from Kjerag a number years ago. That was an impressive rescue. Kjerag is one of Norway's biggest big walls for anybody unfamiliar. Sure there are other positive cases.

Interesting. 

I backed off some late season ice this past weekend because of a similar problem--big gaps/holes near the base of the climb that dropped into spaces between rock with flowing water and a shell-like layer of ice and snow.  I haven't seen this kind of structure often, but it can happen, and I have heard of accidents where people get stuck between the rock and ice in flowing water.  As you can immagine, the outcome is usually not good.  I'm glad this climber made it out.  Be carefull out there!

These are observations, not learnings. Are they making any changes to procedures based on this incident?

(I tried the link but it came up in Norwegian and I am lingually challenged)

This varies by region - certainly where I live in Rogaland several of my climbing partners are active in the alpine rescue group.  They train with other groups affiliated to Norske Alpin Redningsgrupper and attend incidents on the helicopters with the air force's 330 squadron (mostly picking up suicides and base jumpers from the ledges of Kjerag and Preikestolen).  Similar story in Bergen and Tromsø I believe with the climbers being active.  The responders in this case look like regular fire brigade though.

He's a lucky guy, cannot imagine spending an hour in his position.

Because it was an air ambulance, not a SAR helicopter. But it was used to get the casualty to hospital in Bergen.

Looks like 2 x fire brigade, 3 x air ambulance crew, 2 x police and 1 x ambulance crew in the photo.

Slightly terrifying that Rjukan area hasn't got a specialsed mountain rescue set up, you would have thought having the resources they have and the amount of outdoors practise that happens in the area that they would have one. My learnings from being involved in a few rescues is to try and do as much as you can yourself and fellow climbers, unless you are somewhere with proper professional mountain rescue (Chamonix, Spain...), chance you are as qualified as some of the volunteers and sometimes far more. Glad to hear this one accident didn't end up in tragedy though. 

Yeah, I do find this a little worrysome.

But I have always pretty much taken the approach where ever I go, that you and your partner are always responsible of getting your self out of trouble and off the wall. Once on flat ground, the local rescue services can actually try to help. And this is even a good practice in places like Cham, where the PHGM (or what it was called) as stellar it is... might actually be conducting rescue somewhere else (so not able to reach you or your partner in time).


Good thing I mainly hug pebbles these days, next to a road... as my rescue (self) skills are not all that good at the moment (as I haven't really practiced anything lately).

Rjukandefossen isn't near Rjukan - it's just up the road from Hemsedal, 200 km to the north.

Obviously

Ok yes sorry, misread it, but same applies. For example The Catalan GRAE is based in Seu D'urgell and covers 35,000kmsq, and I can tell you Catalans are not sitting on a 1 trillion dollar sovereign fund (270k per person which boggled me when I read it) ...

NARG - Norske Alpine Redningsgrupper - is the controlling organisation for the various volunteer alpine rescue groups around Norway. I think Hemsedal falls within the Langfjella group's area of responsibility. The volunteers assist the police, Norwegian search and rescue organisation (Hovedredningssentralen) and 330 helicopter squadron on alpine and glacier rescues.

Can speculate that, given the nature of the incident, it was over before they could reach the location. I suspect only a dedicated, on-site MR group to be there within an hour.

1hour from he fell in until he was pulled out is pretty rapid for a rescue in these circumstances. 

I was going by the report by the OP "The rescue team that arrived did not seem to have experience, and lacked equipment (screws/crampons etc.)" It seems very strange that the alpine and glacier rescue you mention would show up with no crampons or screws. I think it's not a good assessment to say it was over by the time they got there as we know with hypothemics it's not a clear call, as was proven by the Audrey Marsh rescue in the pyrenees, declared dead on scene yet the GRAE with their hypo training reckoned it was worth taking her to the ECMO machine in Barcelona. Admitted officially dead, then brought her back to life. I believe Oslo has also ECMO machines as so Holland. So it's never over until it's really over with sudden hypothermia. 

Amazing!  Hadn't heard about that.  

Have you heard the story of the Norwegian doctor Anna Bågenholm? A clip from an old BBC Horizon here: https://youtu.be/jLr15BBBtrc?si=eaLAKrz877i-5Ct_

quite remarkable!

Yes same. I've also met the Dutch nordic ice skater that fell through the ice and sank to the bottom (not sure why). The rescue diver made the same assessment than my mate Dani Leon of the GRAE, that even if he was declared dead on scene due to the sudden hypothermia they thought he could be brought around with ECMO machine. They did resuscitate him but he suffered brain damage, he didn't recognise anybody from his previous life. So he started a new one. We had a fascinating chat over dinner about it (we were staying in the same hostel as him when ice climbing). His name scapes me

There's an amazing podcast with he two mountain rescuers about it, absolutely fascinating. All down to training and just being bloody good at their jobs. Unfortunately it's in Catalan... 

Thanks for the illuminating info.  Astounding when you think about it.