Three men were hospitalized Saturday night after a pickup truck in which they were offroading overturned and rolled 400-500 feet down Wild Oat Mountain in southern Douglas County.
The driver and two passengers were ejected as the vehicle rolled down the steep mountainside, said Battalion Chief Scott Fraser of the East Fork Fire and Paramedics District.
The victims were identified as:
n Kenneth Pomeroy, 19, who suffered a broken arm and head injuries;
n Bradley Stribling, 20, who suffered a broken leg and head injuries;
n Joseph Knopp, 28, who had critical head injuries.
Fraser said Stribling and Knopp were transported by medical helicopter to Renown Regional Medical. Pomeroy refused treatment, but was taken by private vehicle to Carson Valley Medical Center and transported to Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno.
Fraser said the accident was reported at 7:55 p.m.
He said the incident is under investigation and officials aren't sure what the victims were doing on the mountain.
"I believe there was a delayed call," Fraser said. "Our first paramedic got to the first guy at the bottom of the hill in about 10 minutes. It took 30 minutes to get to the first victim because they were so far up. Literally, one of my guys grabbed a medical bag and took off up the mountain."
Fraser said about 35 people were involved in the search for the victims including firefighters and paramedics, Douglas County sheriff's deputies, Search and Rescue Volunteers and helicopters from CALSTAR and Care Flight.
As daylight faded, Fraser said helicopters provided searchlights.
"It was so dark and not safe to be up there. Care Flight actually found the victims for us about a half-mile up from the valley floor. Our guys hiked to them. If it hadn't been for Care Flight it would have just been that much more challenging," he said.
"Fire, law enforcement and search and rescue crews had to hike up the slope to reach the patients, which took approximately 30 minutes by ground," he said.
After reaching the victims and stabilizing their injuries, it took crews an hour to move the patients to the valley floor for transport, Fraser said.
The accident is under investigation by the sheriff's office.
