I wasn’t allowed to go over near where Flip was, but once in awhile the crowd cleared so I could see him a little. He was lying right on the edge of a cliff. No one was moving him, and that was making me nervous. I was afraid he would wake up and roll over the wrong way and fall all the way this time.
And why didn’t he wake up?
Fawn paced around the crowd, looking up at the sky. How long would it take for the helicopter to get here? A ranger from Little Yosemite Valley arrived with a big pack with some medical gear. He put a splint on Flip’s ankle and a board under his head. Then he threw one of those silver emergency blankets on him, like Dad had earlier.
Actually, my dad still didn’t look so good, and from time to time I saw him grab his chest and try to catch his breath. Then he’d sit down and put his head between his legs.
“I’m not great, but I’m better off than Flip.” Matt came over and took Dad’s pulse again.
“When the helicopter gets here, I’m going to ask them to take you too. You’re not any better, and getting to a lower altitude is pretty much your only cure right now. I don’t want to chance losing you on the way down.” Matt smiled as he walked off.
“Losing you?” I said to Dad.
“He’s just kidding. But I think I will take that helicopter ride.”
“If it ever gets here.”
The thunderclouds were gone now. If the helicopter didn’t make it up here soon, it would be dark — and cold.
I wanted to go talk to Fawn, but I had no idea what to say. Dad wouldn’t let me go over there anyway.
Nate tried to go over and talk to her — but that didn’t go well. Her arms flew all around and I heard her say, “Don’t even think about reporting this in your magazine!”
Dad went over to say something to Fawn, but I couldn’t hear a thing, because all of a sudden there was a loud rumbling sound. I strained to see where the sound was coming from, but all I saw was a never-ending sky.
Then I saw it — a helicopter rose up from below us and began to circle around the area where Flip was.
The ranger motioned for the crowd to move out of the way. Many of the people had already made their way back down the granite steps, and no more people were being allowed to go up the cables, so there weren’t many of us left on the saddle of Half Dome. But there still wasn’t much room, so we all moved to the sides so the helicopter could touch down. It actually flew over our heads and landed on Sub Dome, right behind us.
Fawn stayed at Flip’s side until the rescuers asked her to move. They slid a bigger board under his body, and it looked like they taped him to it with duct tape. Then they put him in a basket and carried Flip to the helicopter.
Matt came over to where we were standing. “You guys hurry up and get over to the copter. It’s going to take off in a minute!”
We grabbed our gear and jogged up the hill to the top of Sub Dome. Everyone had been cleared out of the way, and the spinning blades were throwing dust up all over the place.
Matt yelled at the guys in the helicopter. “These two have to go — he’s suffering from altitude sickness, and she’s his daughter.”
The medical technician reached out his arm and grabbed us both up into the helicopter.
“Wait, I have to go too!” Fawn reached her hands up.
I saw the technician shake his head. “We’re running out of room. Only injured and family.” He motioned for the pilot to take off.
Fawn shrieked. “You can’t leave me! I’m his sister!”