thedrifter
09-15-03, 05:58 AM
Marines and Sailors climb Fuji, rescue woman
Submitted by: MCB Camp Butler
Story Identification Number: 2003911215936
Story by Sgt. Danny L. Patterson
MOUNT FUJI, Japan(September 12, 2003) -- It was a cold, early morning for nearly 80 Marines and Sailors of C Company, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division as they started their venture to climb Mount Fuji.
The rugged terrain was difficult to climb and the overwhelming fog and wind didn't make it much easier.
By 9 a.m., they had almost reached Station 8, which is nearly 45 minutes from the top. It was then that a group of Marines and a Corpsman noticed something out of the ordinary that made the trip a more memorable experience.
"We noticed two men carrying a woman in her mid-20's, who appeared to be very weak, down the mountain," Cpl. Justin P. Kazan, infantryman for C Company and Bayonne, N.J., native explained. "We asked the men to sit her down and decided to call the Corpsman over to take a look at her."
Although the men wanted to continue carrying her to the bottom, they sat the woman on the ground and allowed the Corpsman to look at her.
Only one of the men spoke any English and explained that the group had spent the night on the mountain, outside in the cold wind.
"When I arrived, I started checking her vitals and noticed that she had the symptoms of mild hypothermia," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Gilbert R. Roman, Corpsman for C Company and San Jose, Calif., native. "We knew we had to act fast or within 30 minutes her symptoms could have changed to severe hypothermia."
The group decided to take her to the first aid station that was 20 feet away. Once they got there, they put numerous layers of clothing on the woman trying to warm her.
"We took off our jackets and wool caps and put them over her," said Lance Cpl. Joseph F. Schneider, infantryman for C Company and Kansas City, Mo., native. "We also gave her food and water; we gave her everything we could to help."
After an hour in the first aid station, the woman was warm enough to change from her wet clothes into dry clothes. While she changed, the Marines went outside and saw the rest of the company coming back down the mountain due to bad weather.
"When we saw the other Marines coming, we decided that it would be best if we started to move her down the mountain with everyone's help," Kazan said. "We found a stretcher in the station and laid her on it and strapped our belts across her to prevent her from slipping off."
The company formed a chain down the treacherous rocks to pass the stretcher from person to person until they got to smoother land. Marines and Sailors would continue to go to the front of the chain to keep the stretcher moving until they reached a service road.
Once they reached the road, which was still almost a 45-degree incline, three Marines ran for almost a mile-and-a-half to the bottom to get a vehicle to transport the woman. Unable to get a vehicle up the mountain, park officials called an ambulance to wait until the company got her to the bottom.
On their way to the bottom, Marines and Sailors worked together carrying the stretcher. Once they reached the bottom, the woman started to show signs of recovery as the sun came out.
They reached the bottom at 12:30 p.m. and still had to wait nearly an hour for the ambulance to arrive because of the remote location. While they were waiting, the woman saw her family and began to cry with tears of happiness.
An hour later, the ambulance arrived and carried the woman off. It was the last the company heard from her. Because she left with her vital signs showing near complete recovery, they are certain she had a successful recovery.
Although the Marines didn't even get the woman's name, they were glad to help.
"It felt great because everyone chipped in and the company came together to help her," Kazan said.
While the ambulance was leaving, the woman's family continually bowed in thanks to the Marines and Sailors for helping.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200391122416/$file/rescue.gif
Marines and Sailors from C Company, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division form a line to pass a woman suffering from hypothermia down the rough terrain of Mount Fuji Aug. 31. After they reached a service road, the Marines of Company C, took turns carrying the stretcher to the bottom of the mountain.
Photo by: Courtesy Photo
Sempers,
Roger
:marine:
Submitted by: MCB Camp Butler
Story Identification Number: 2003911215936
Story by Sgt. Danny L. Patterson
MOUNT FUJI, Japan(September 12, 2003) -- It was a cold, early morning for nearly 80 Marines and Sailors of C Company, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division as they started their venture to climb Mount Fuji.
The rugged terrain was difficult to climb and the overwhelming fog and wind didn't make it much easier.
By 9 a.m., they had almost reached Station 8, which is nearly 45 minutes from the top. It was then that a group of Marines and a Corpsman noticed something out of the ordinary that made the trip a more memorable experience.
"We noticed two men carrying a woman in her mid-20's, who appeared to be very weak, down the mountain," Cpl. Justin P. Kazan, infantryman for C Company and Bayonne, N.J., native explained. "We asked the men to sit her down and decided to call the Corpsman over to take a look at her."
Although the men wanted to continue carrying her to the bottom, they sat the woman on the ground and allowed the Corpsman to look at her.
Only one of the men spoke any English and explained that the group had spent the night on the mountain, outside in the cold wind.
"When I arrived, I started checking her vitals and noticed that she had the symptoms of mild hypothermia," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Gilbert R. Roman, Corpsman for C Company and San Jose, Calif., native. "We knew we had to act fast or within 30 minutes her symptoms could have changed to severe hypothermia."
The group decided to take her to the first aid station that was 20 feet away. Once they got there, they put numerous layers of clothing on the woman trying to warm her.
"We took off our jackets and wool caps and put them over her," said Lance Cpl. Joseph F. Schneider, infantryman for C Company and Kansas City, Mo., native. "We also gave her food and water; we gave her everything we could to help."
After an hour in the first aid station, the woman was warm enough to change from her wet clothes into dry clothes. While she changed, the Marines went outside and saw the rest of the company coming back down the mountain due to bad weather.
"When we saw the other Marines coming, we decided that it would be best if we started to move her down the mountain with everyone's help," Kazan said. "We found a stretcher in the station and laid her on it and strapped our belts across her to prevent her from slipping off."
The company formed a chain down the treacherous rocks to pass the stretcher from person to person until they got to smoother land. Marines and Sailors would continue to go to the front of the chain to keep the stretcher moving until they reached a service road.
Once they reached the road, which was still almost a 45-degree incline, three Marines ran for almost a mile-and-a-half to the bottom to get a vehicle to transport the woman. Unable to get a vehicle up the mountain, park officials called an ambulance to wait until the company got her to the bottom.
On their way to the bottom, Marines and Sailors worked together carrying the stretcher. Once they reached the bottom, the woman started to show signs of recovery as the sun came out.
They reached the bottom at 12:30 p.m. and still had to wait nearly an hour for the ambulance to arrive because of the remote location. While they were waiting, the woman saw her family and began to cry with tears of happiness.
An hour later, the ambulance arrived and carried the woman off. It was the last the company heard from her. Because she left with her vital signs showing near complete recovery, they are certain she had a successful recovery.
Although the Marines didn't even get the woman's name, they were glad to help.
"It felt great because everyone chipped in and the company came together to help her," Kazan said.
While the ambulance was leaving, the woman's family continually bowed in thanks to the Marines and Sailors for helping.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/200391122416/$file/rescue.gif
Marines and Sailors from C Company, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division form a line to pass a woman suffering from hypothermia down the rough terrain of Mount Fuji Aug. 31. After they reached a service road, the Marines of Company C, took turns carrying the stretcher to the bottom of the mountain.
Photo by: Courtesy Photo
Sempers,
Roger
:marine: