Full Notification

Survivor of 350' Crash Revisits Cliffside & Meets Her Rescuers - LASD Search & Rescue PHOTOS

On Thursday, August 2, 2012, at 10:00 a.m., members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Montrose Search and Rescue Team and a paramedic from Emergency Services Detail-Air 5 Rescue Helicopter Crew met crash survivor, Tracey Granger at mile marker 10.47 in the Angeles Forest Highway.

On Sunday, March 25, 2012, at 7:45 p.m. Tracey Granger from Juniper Hills was driving on Angeles Forest Highway when she hit a patch of ice on the roadway. Her vehicle plummeted 350 feet down a rugged hillside and came to rest over the edge. She spent approximately 12 hours at night in near-freezing temperatures in the snowy canyon until the next morning when she was rescued by Sheriff’s Montrose Search and Rescue personnel and the Sheriff’s Department Air-5 Rescue helicopter crew.

Tracey revisited the location where she survived this terrible crash and with the assistance of the Montrose Search and Rescue crew she was lowered 350 feet down to where her truck had landed. “I was surprised how far over the side it was and how remote the location was,” said Tracey after she came back up the side of the cliff. Today’s emotional event provided Tracey closure and gave her the opportunity to meet her rescuers and express her gratitude to them for saving her life. “I am extremely grateful that they found me and for their training,” stated Tracey.

Reserve Deputies Jason Johnson, Robert Sheedy, Cindy England and Deputy Paramedic Mark Desmarteau were present today and were the original personnel on scene of the rescue.

Montrose Search and Rescue Team members Mike Leum, Janet Henderson, Kevin Hughes, Tim Berry, and Lynda Daniels were also there to assist with the operation.



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Press Release: April 5, 2012

On Sunday, March 25, 2012, at approximately 7:45 pm, a female adult resident from Juniper Hills was driving on Angeles Forest Highway near mile marker 10.47 when she hit ice on the roadway which resulted in her vehicle sliding off the roadway. The vehicle rolled over down a rugged hillside and came to rest 350 feet over the edge.

When the victim was reported missing by her husband, the Montrose Search and Rescue Team, along with Antelope Valley Search and Rescue were activated and implemented a grid search for the driver at approximately 7:00 am Monday March 26th. At approximately 9:30 am, Reserve Deputy Jason Johnson located recent tire marks in the snow which led up and over the snow-covered dirt berm. Deputy Johnson then looked over the cliff and he saw a vehicle down the hillside which matched the description of the missing person’s white Ford pickup.

Deputy Johnson maneuvered his way down the rugged, snow covered hillside and located the victim who was outside of her vehicle and laying in the snow. The victim was cold, wet and in critical condition and was given life-saving medical aid by Deputy Johnson. Soon after, Reserve Deputies Cyndy Moyneur and Robert Sheedy, along with Sheriff’s Air 5 paramedics arrived and joined in providing life-saving medical attention. Once the victim as stabilized, she was loaded into the rescue basket, where she was air lifted to Huntington Memorial Hospital. The Victim was admitted in critical condition.

On Wednesday, April 4, 2012, at 2 pm, Reserve Deputy Johnson, Reserve Deputy Moyneur, and Reserve Deputy Janet Henderson visited the victim at her hospital bedside. The victim’s condition has improved to the point that she will soon be transferred to another hospital for more follow up care.

When the victim met her rescuers at her hospital bedside, she became teary- eyed and she was extremely happy to meet her heroes face-to-face. Although still a little vague, the victim remembered driving on Angeles Forest Highway and hitting ice on the roadway. She said she attempted to correct her steering but knew she was headed for the edge. The victim said she could not stop the truck and it ended up rolling over the edge, turning over onto its rooftop and sliding down the hillside. Once the truck hit the bottom of the canyon it rolled back over onto its wheels and landed in a large burned out shrub bush. Believing that her vehicle might catch fire, the victim crawled out of the passenger compartment where she remained until located by Deputy Johnson.

During her meeting with the deputies, the victim said “if they would not have found me, I would not have survived.” Once she is able to, the victim said she wants to go back to the location with the members of the Montrose Search and Rescue Team to look first hand at the location. The victim and her husband are in very good spirits and very thankful to the Reserve Deputies and the role they played in saving her life.

Members of the Montrose Search and rescue Team are Reserve Deputies who are volunteers and are paid $1 per year. These members are available at a moment’s notice to assist in searches and technical rescues within the County of Los Angeles.

For Further Information Contact
Public Information Officer Nicole Nishida
Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau - Newsroom
323-267-4800
http://www.lasd.org/
SHBNewsroom@lasd.org
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Leroy D. Baca, Sheriff
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

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