Review by Booklist Review
Given the opportunity to be lowered into a hundred-foot-deep mountainside fissure barely wide enough for a human, most people would demur. Not emergency-room physician Van Tilburg. He'll go down there in the rain, carrying a stretcher and a backpack of medical supplies, trusting that the guy at the top won't let go of the rope and send him plummeting to certain death. What's more, he'll go down there often, frequently against the wishes of his long-suffering wife and family, and he'll go for free. What? Is this guy nuts? Well, maybe. Somebody must be crazy enough, however, and addicted to adrenaline highs to conduct rescues when folks get into bad situations in rugged terrain. Any of Van Tilburg's accounts could be the stuff of a Sunday-night TV movie, including their behind-the-scenes glimpses of family and team issues (yes, multiple rescuers are involved). Perhaps an unintended lesson here is to follow one's dream, for Van Tilburg found a way to combine medicine and his love of extreme sports.--Chavez, Donna Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
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) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
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, Univ. of South Florida at St. Petersburg Lib. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Four seasons in the life of a seemingly superhuman emergency wilderness physician. A dedicated member of Crag Rats, a nonprofit search-and-rescue club working in tandem with the local Oregon sheriff's department, Van Tilburg vigorously describes the difficult, life-saving protocol followed by him and his crew while at high angles, precariously perched atop sharp, rocky cliffs: the rush to reach a trapped climber within the patient's "golden hour" (the first critical hour after severe bodily trauma); attempting a tracheal intubation while a closely hovering medical-rescue helicopter whips up dirt and debris; rescuing two dogs from the rock ledges of an icy stream; reviving a mountain biker who slipped off a cliff. Heavily influenced by his father, a hardworking orthodontist, Van Tilburg's fascination with medicine and penchant for extreme wilderness sports combined to become his livelihood. Even on his birthday, the author's focus remained fixated on saving the life of a lost climber on Mount Hood. His adrenaline-fueled narrative begins with events in spring, where melting ice and snow wreaks havoc; summer proves back-breaking for a cliff jumper who jackknifed into a natural "plunge pool"; fall is plagued by heat-exhaustion and rattlesnakes; winter's deceptively downy snow cover and five-foot tree wells can create an icy coffin. The author finds room between his heroics to discuss the escalating costs of rescues, the regulations governing state forestlands, outdoor liability laws and the hefty price tag exacted on those who cry wolf. 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. Those who choose to brave the Oregon wilderness can do so fearlessly--they are undoubtedly in good hands. Exhilarating take on the daily life of a unique brand of doctor. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
