Two climbers from Colorado notified NPS Rangers by calling 911 on their cell phone at approximately 7pm. Michael Boland, 28, and Justin Rose, 21, assisted with the rescue. They climbed to the scene from their camp at the 13,800 foot level on the same route. Lama Helicopter pilot Jim Hood, with Evergreen Helicopters, Inc., used the "short haul" method to rescue Toso from the mountain. Boland and Rose secured the non-ambulatory Toso to a fixed line beneath the helicopter using a screamer suit. The Lama then transported Toso to the NPS Base Camp at 7,200 feet. The patient was transported to Talkeetna by a fixed-wing aircraft with Hudson Air Service. Lifeflight transported Toso to providence in Anchorage for further treatment.

The short haul technique is used to insert and extract rescuers and injured parties from a location where a helicopter is unable to land. The injured climber is hooked up to the rope by the ranger and then transported to lower elevations for treatment. Boland and Rose were able to hook up toso in the screamer suit and it was not neccessary to have a ranger flown to the scene.

This is the second rescue mission the Lama has been involved in this climbing season. Weather at the time of the incident was clear but windy with gusts of up to 50mph reported at the ranger camp at 14,200 feet.

There are currently 1170 climbers registered to climb McKinley this year. There are 354 climbers on the mountain at this time and there have been 10 successful summits. The success rate for the season so far is 14%. There are 34 climbers climbing the West Rib at this time and currently 123 climbers are registered to climb the West Rib this year.

— Denali Information Office