ReachMD

Dr. Andrew Krakowski welcomes Dr. Christopher Van Tilberg, emergency wilderness physician and author of "Mountain Rescue Doctor: Wilderness Medicine in the Extremes of Nature." Dr. Van Tilburg recounts his experience as a member of the Crag Rats, a mountain search-and-rescue team. Started in 1926, the Crag Rats are a group of extremely skilled, highly organized volunteers, who confront blizzards, darkness, freezing water, and other extreme conditions to help rescue sports enthusiasts lost or injured while on the mountain. Dr. Van Tilburg shares personal stories of harrowing rescues and suspenseful recovery missions, including the 2006 Mount Hood tragedy, which claimed the lives of three climbers. He also engages some of the ethical and legal challenges a wilderness physician faces in making tough choices about who can be saved and at what price. This examination of cost in search-and-rescue operations provides an interesting backdrop for the debate on whether victims should be held responsible for some of these costs.