Deceased/Not Found WA - Sam Dubal, 34, UW professor, Mother Mountain Loop, Mowich Lake TH, Mount Rainier, 9 Oct 2020

[RickshawFan]

@K9Enzo Thanks. I don't think you're off-topic. Sometimes it's important to know this stuff in a broader context so we can see what's going on in a case.
And, IMO, in any case that involves safety, we might as well learn it to keep our own selves safe. Like my knowing that there's a whistle on the sternum strap of many (maybe even most, these days) packs. Y'all might need that little tidbit sometime, and this little tangent will be very well spent.
You have me investigating PLB's. I found out in the process that they don't work super well in significant cloud or tree cover.

I think this case has a bad ending. It's gone too long, and the trail might have snow cover 'til spring. Awful. He seems to have had so much promise.

Another point on the subject of communication and SAR. One of the unique features of SAR in the Cascades is that they've been trying to put cell towers along the ridge specifically to facilitate rescues. From those peaks, on a clear day, you might see at least 150 miles, so this is one of the few places in the country where this might work, at least somewhat. Near Bend OR, they've put one atop Mount Bachelor to facilitate SAR in the Three Sisters area.

 

[mickey2942]

I have the Garmin inReach -yes, satellite - two way communication/ does require a monthly subscription that can be turned off/on. LE/SAR would also have access to what I put in my profile about myself, who is in my party, if my dog is with me, any medical info, etc. Each “text” will give my gps coordinates.

We often hike where cell phone reception is spotty or nonexistent. It’s a must for us.
They have really good customer service and will answer any questions. IMO

I also don’t want to derail the thread and apologize if this is off topic.

Garmin inReach Aids in 5,000th Rescue Thanks to Two-Way Communication and SOS Functionality

Others I have heard of-

SPOT Satellite Communication Devices | Saved by SPOT

ResQLink™ Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) | ACR ARTEX

I actually checked into this when you mentioned it on Holly's thread. They are at Costco online for less than $250. I am seriously considering getting them for all of my kids. They all hike and bike in Montana, where cell service is hit and miss.

 

[j_in_c]

I actually checked into this when you mentioned it on Holly's thread. They are at Costco online for less than $250. I am seriously considering getting them for all of my kids. They all hike and bike in Montana, where cell service is hit and miss.

As was mentioned, they require a annual/monthly service subscription like a cell phone for use of the satellite network. I have rented them for larger/longer trips where I feel it is a needed safety precaution and where I know we may not be encountering other hikers. But it is a great device and especially important for folks that like to venture out on solo trips.

 

[RickshawFan]

Wow, y'all are great. Even the inReach mini might work for me. These days, I'm more worried about having a bad fall than getting lost. Oh, that, and having one in my car for super-snowy weather. As someone mentioned upthread, it's so easy to end up in a snowbank.

 

[RickshawFan]

Where, oh where is SD. I'm afraid this is not looking good at all. It's clearish and no rain thru Thursday. After that, I'm guessing snow socks in for the winter, and they'd be looking at recovery next spring or later.
Do searches and rescue usually take this long in summer weather on Rainier? It seems like they usually find people sooner (dead or alive) or have a pretty good idea where they are but can't retrieve them right away because of winter snow.

 

[SFDukie]

Sadly, his sister posted-"After a thorough search, the outer limits of time for survivability have passed. Our deepest gratitude to all, including the brave searchers & community."
https://twitter.com/veenadubal/status/1320937294149238785?s=20

deep condolences to his family. Heartbreaking.

 

[steff13]

Oh my. I admire their strength and courage to acknowledge that he's probably gone. They'll be in my prayers.

 

[scriabina]

This is truly heartbreaking!

What's most likely to have happened to him in that terrain? Got lost due to changing weather and low visibility and ultimately perished from hypothermia after many days? Or is it possible he fell to his death? I'm not familiar with the area beyond looking at some YouTube videos. As an MD I'm sure he knew his window of survivability was short, and that knowledge must have made him even more frantic and panic-stricken. I hope he died instantly rather than suffering for weeks.

The water abandoned water bottle is truly strange. I know others have stated sometimes hikers leave water bottles as a marker, but if he got lost around there or took a fall, wouldn't he have been found? I'm sure search & rescue concentrated in that area of the water bottle. Would a seasoned smart hiker really just wander that far away? I guess the water bottle was dropped unbeknownst to him and he got lost or injured further ahead.

Just trying to make sense of what could have happened for some semblance of closure. Hate these missing hiker cases... So many of them are never found, or aren't found until years later. How horrible for the family.

 

[Vail]

This is truly heartbreaking!

What's most likely to have happened to him in that terrain? Got lost due to changing weather and low visibility and ultimately perished from hypothermia after many days? Or is it possible he fell to his death? I'm not familiar with the area beyond looking at some YouTube videos. As an MD I'm sure he knew his window of survivability was short, and that knowledge must have made him even more frantic and panic-stricken. I hope he died instantly rather than suffering for weeks.

The water abandoned water bottle is truly strange. I know others have stated sometimes hikers leave water bottles as a marker, but if he got lost around there or took a fall, wouldn't he have been found? I'm sure search & rescue concentrated in that area of the water bottle. Would a seasoned smart hiker really just wander that far away? I guess the water bottle was dropped unbeknownst to him and he got lost or injured further ahead.

Just trying to make sense of what could have happened for some semblance of closure. Hate these missing hiker cases... So many of them are never found, or aren't found until years later. How horrible for the family.

From the map on twitter, it seems like the water bottle was discarded before he became lost since it was found on the side of the trail. Maybe he rested there and simply forgot it? I don't remember if they even said how they know it was his.

 

[RickshawFan]

This is truly heartbreaking!

What's most likely to have happened to him in that terrain? Got lost due to changing weather and low visibility and ultimately perished from hypothermia after many days? Or is it possible he fell to his death? I'm not familiar with the area beyond looking at some YouTube videos. As an MD I'm sure he knew his window of survivability was short, and that knowledge must have made him even more frantic and panic-stricken. I hope he died instantly rather than suffering for weeks.

The water abandoned water bottle is truly strange. I know others have stated sometimes hikers leave water bottles as a marker, but if he got lost around there or took a fall, wouldn't he have been found? I'm sure search & rescue concentrated in that area of the water bottle. Would a seasoned smart hiker really just wander that far away? I guess the water bottle was dropped unbeknownst to him and he got lost or injured further ahead.

Just trying to make sense of what could have happened for some semblance of closure. Hate these missing hiker cases... So many of them are never found, or aren't found until years later. How horrible for the family.

He could have just come across a snowfield and got lost trying to cross. AFAIK he was at a point of some very exposed areas.
He was also new to the NW, so he might not actually have been prepared for "weather". And the unfortunate truth is, some folks are very well-equipped these days with "ultralight" equipment. IMO ultralight is a pipe dream. Fantasy land. The equipment is flimsy and not designed for serious weather (sometimes not even for a strong rainstorm.) Folks who "ultralight" are often just expecting other hikers to get them out of a fix. I get very annoyed when they show up to shelters and make everyone move over to accommodate them (or even leave the shelter) because they haven't brought a tent robust enough to keep them safe (some don't bring any covering at all). Grrrr....
Even new "ultralighters" forgo boots for trainers—an astronomically terrible idea in the NW. And in potential snow? Absolutely unthinkable.
And if they get their sleeping bag wet (often high-end down is used), combined with a flimsy tarp tent, there's almost no way you'd survive even one night because of hypothermia.
The ratings for sleeping bags are totally misleading: someone new to the area might not have known that, either.
Generally, if you get your down sleeping bag wet, you have to leave the trail until you can get it dry; synthetic fills are somewhat better, plus they are bulky and heavy. I usually tell people to take down: just don't get it wet. I always had down in the NW. And if you can't leave the trail? You're toast.
I'm not saying this did happen, I'm only offering that SD had income enough to purchase that kind of equipment (which is paradoxically expensive) and likely did enough research to outfit himself to the max with ultralight stuff. Hopefully he didn't take it with him: he really would have suffered.

 

[PommyMommy]

NOV 5, 2020
Family Of Missing UW Professor Launches Memorial Fundraiser
The family of Dr. Sam Dubal, a University of Washington professor who went missing while hiking in Mount Rainier in early October, has launched a fundraiser to help create a fellowship fund in his memory.

[...]

... seeking to raise enough money to establish the Sam Dubal Fellowship Fund at the University of Washington and UC Berkeley to "support the training of individuals and projects that advance a collective mission toward an ethical world."

Within a day, donations had already exceeded $15,000 of a $33,000 goal.

 

[mickey2942]

NOV 5, 2020
Family Of Missing UW Professor Launches Memorial Fundraiser
The family of Dr. Sam Dubal, a University of Washington professor who went missing while hiking in Mount Rainier in early October, has launched a fundraiser to help create a fellowship fund in his memory.

[...]

... seeking to raise enough money to establish the Sam Dubal Fellowship Fund at the University of Washington and UC Berkeley to "support the training of individuals and projects that advance a collective mission toward an ethical world."

Within a day, donations had already exceeded $15,000 of a $33,000 goal.

This is a thoughtful way to honor his legacy. I am so sorry that Mount Rainier kept another one of our best and brightest.

 

[steff13]

Funny this popped up on the first page, I was just thinking about Sam today. I hope he's found eventually (in the spring, maybe) so his family can properly grieve. They seem like nice people, as did he. What a terrible loss.

 

[kelsie]

'A warm heart': UC Berkeley anthropology researcher Sam Dubal dies at 33
According to his sister Dena Dubal, it was while practicing medicine as a physician in surgical residency that Sam Dubal realized the health of vulnerable populations was “rooted” in structural injustices.

During his time in the joint medical anthropology program, Dubal went on to do fieldwork in Uganda concerning the Lord’s Resistance Army, a militant Ugandan group infamous for war crimes. This work would later lead to him writing a book that critiques the concept of humanity.

At the start of this year, Dubal had taken on an anthropology assistant professor role at the University of Washington, where he taught a class on the anthropology of soccer, a great interest of his.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Sincere condolences to his family for their loss.

 

[Cryptic]

The water abandoned water bottle is truly strange. I know others have stated sometimes hikers leave water bottles as a marker, but if he got lost around there or took a fall, wouldn't he have been found? I'm sure search & rescue concentrated in that area of the water bottle.

Would a seasoned smart hiker really just wander that far away? I guess the water bottle was dropped unbeknownst to him and he got lost or injured further ahead.

Though it is probably impossible to know for sure what happened in regards to the left water bottle, some lost hikers and explorers develop a tunnel vision due to physical exhaustion combining with mental stress.

This can lead to clearly needed equipment being abandoned or discarded on an impulse and conversely, clearly un needed equipment being kept despite apparent added difficulties in doing so.

 

[mickey2942]

‘He came back from the dead’: Lost Mount Rainier hiker starts to recover after rescue in whiteout conditions

This is sadly, not about Sam Dubal, it is another hiker, Micheal P. who was lost on Mount Rainier, and actually did die, but was revived. This is the story...I was so excited when I saw it, I thought it was Sam!

 

[LadyL]

‘He came back from the dead’: Lost Mount Rainier hiker starts to recover after rescue in whiteout conditions

This is sadly, not about Sam Dubal, it is another hiker, Micheal P. who was lost on Mount Rainier, and actually did die, but was revived. This is the story...I was so excited when I saw it, I thought it was Sam!

WOW!!!

 

[mickey2942]

WOW!!!

Hiker lost in Mount Rainier whiteout dies in ER – and is brought back to life

This one is a bit more information. It is actually amazing that they found him at all. The difference was that he was with a friend, and they knew the general area to search right away.

 

[dotr]

November 2020
Anthropology Professor Remembered for Commitment to Anti-Racism in Medicine

''The University of Washington community mourns the loss of Sam B. Dubal, assistant professor of anthropology, who died on Mt. Rainier in October. Despite an extensive two-week search of the mountain led by Mountain Rescue Association volunteers from across Washington, Dubal’s body has not been recovered.

Dubal joined the UW Department of Anthropology faculty in September 2020, and his future at the University was full of promise. He came to the University with an undergraduate degree from Stanford University, a PhD in medical anthropology from UC-Berkeley and UW-San Francisco, and an MD from Harvard Medical School.

“We were immediately engaged by Sam’s deep commitment to anti-racism in medicine and his desire to change medical education,” recalls Patricia Kramer, chair of the UW Department of Anthropology. “Many of our undergraduates aspire to careers in the health professions and his work connected directly to our departmental emphasis on health.”