Mountain Rescue Doctor: Wilderness Medicine in the Extremes of Nature

by Christopher Van Tilburg

Overview

A memoir from a doctor who rescues hikers, bikers, rafters, and skiers from the wilderness, as part of the Hood River Crag Rats, the oldest mountain rescue team in the country.

Christopher Van Tilburg, MD is an emergency room physician, ski patrol doctor, emergency wilderness physician, and member of the Hood River Crag Rats, the oldest mountain rescue team in the country. When Dr. Van Tilburg's beeper goes off, the call may take him racing up a mountain peak to rescue an injured hiker, into a blizzard to search for missing skiers, or to a mountain airplane crash scene for body recovery.

Dr. Van Tilburg's work requires a unique combination of emergency medicine, survival skills, agility, and extreme sports. In Mountain Rescue Doctor, Van Tilburg shares personal stories of harrowing and suspenseful rescues and recoveries, including the recent Mount Hood disaster, which claimed the lives of three climbers. Mountain Rescue Doctor is an exhilarating tour through the perils of nature and medicine.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780312358884
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	10/28/2008
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	8.28(w) x 5.38(h) x 0.84(d)

About the Author

CHRISTOPHER VAN TILBURG, M.D. is editor for Wilderness Medicine magazine and is a regular contributor to National Geographic Adventure, Backcountry, Columbia Gorge, among others. He is an emergency room and ski resort physician, and a member of the Hood River Crag Rats, the oldest mountain rescue team in the US. He has written seven books on the outdoors, and lives in Hood River, Oregon with his daughters.

Editorial Reviews

Chris Van Tilburg works by day as an ER doctor in Hood River, OR. In Mountain Rescue Doctor, he recounts adrenaline-packed tales from one of his ‘downtime' pursuits: saving lives as a high-peak Craig Rat.” —Reader's Digest Editor's Choice

“[Van Tilburg's] strength lies in what he teaches about mountain rescue and wilderness survival. Mountain Rescue Doctor is the story behind the headlines.” —The Oregonian

“Van Tilburg's dogged spadework in translating to the page the intricate essentials of his unique trade makes each breathtaking rescue literally come to life. Exhilarating take on the daily life of a unique brand of doctor.” —Kirkus

“A fast-paced account of Mt. Hood. For readers who are unfamiliar with the rugged and beautiful Hood River area, [Van Tilburg] balances its undeniable perils with the joys of its scenic wonders . . .” —Publisher’s Weekly

“As a medical doctor, a previously published author (Backcountry Snowboarding; Introducing Your Kids to the Outdoors), and an adventure-sports devotee himself, Van Tilburg is uniquely qualified to describe the fears, excitement, frustration, and rewards of these searches. He examines the high costs of search-and-rescue operations and provides an interesting overview of the debate on whether victims should be held responsible for some of these costs. Young adults will likely enjoy this introduction to the field of wilderness medicine. Filled with adventure and good advice.” —Library Journal

“Outdoors folk in Oregon have long benefited from Dr. Chris Van Tilburg’s skills as an emergency doctor and his selfless devotion to rescuing injured hikers and climbers as a volunteer for his local mountain rescue service. Now his other great skill—as a writer—has brought these exciting tales to the country at large. Chris captures the excitement of a rescue with the passion of a true mountaineer, and does so in highly readable prose.” —John Harlin III, Editor of The American Alpine Journal and author of The Eiger Obsession, Mount Rainier and The Climber's Guide to North America

From the Publisher

A resident of Hood River, Ore., an emergency room physician and a member of Crag Rats ("the first official volunteer mountain rescue group in the nation"), Van Tilburg (Emergency Survival: A Pocket Guide) has divided his fast-paced account of Mt. Hood rescues by season. In the winter, he explains the dangers of tree wells, patches of loose snow that can snare skiers and snowboarders. One hot Fourth of July, he takes a trek through icy black water in a box canyon, engineering the tricky retrieval of a cliff jumper with a back fracture. Detailing each rescue operation from the first call mobilizing teams of volunteers to grateful notes from the families of those rescued, Van Tilburg also offers snippets of environmental history and outdoor law. For readers who are unfamiliar with the rugged and beautiful Hood River area, he balances its undeniable perils with the joys of its scenic wonders, noting that "the thrill of risk is an inseparable aspect of adventure sport." 8 pages of color photos not seen by PW. (Nov. 13)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Publishers Weekly

In this fast-paced book, Van Tilburg recounts his experiences as a member of the Crag Rats, a mountain search-and-rescue team operating out of the Mount Hood, OR, area. Started in 1926, the Crag Rats are made up of extremely skilled, highly organized volunteers who face blizzards, darkness, freezing water, and other extreme conditions to help rescue sports enthusiasts who have become lost or injured in the mountains. As a medical doctor, a previously published author (Backcountry Snowboarding; Introducing Your Kids to the Outdoors), and an adventure-sports devotee himself, Van Tilburg is uniquely qualified to describe the fears, excitement, frustration, and rewards of these searches. He examines the high costs of search-and-rescue operations and provides an interesting overview of the debate on whether victims should be held responsible for some of these costs. Young adults will likely enjoy this introduction to the field of wilderness medicine. Filled with adventure and good advice, it is recommended for high school and public libraries.
—Tina Neville

Library Journal