33 Trial Lawyer • Spring 2022 “sound sweeps.” We plug our ears and blow a few shrill blasts on our whistles then listen for a response. Nothing but silence. We are high above the thick, green forests. Everything up here is gray and brown. We are strung out along the ridge with a deputy climbing in the lead. Suddenly, his voice breaks the silence. He is not far ahead of me, but I cannot understand what he is saying. As I climb to catch up to him, the narrow ridge broadens into a wide, flat meadow scattered with tall trees. My eyes are drawn to my left. A pile of bright green fir boughs stand out from the gray and brown. As I stare, trying to make sense of what I am seeing, the form of a man-made shelter springs out at me. I hear the deputy yelling and look across the meadow. He is rushing toward a figure as dark and mottled as the landscape. It is the man in the picture on the search flyer folded up in my chest pack. He drops to the ground, mouth agape. Success One team member radios the rescue location, others clear the area of loose debris for when the helicopter arrives and whips the scene into a windy frenzy. I talk to the man to assess his condition. Talking to a person who has been alone with their thoughts for 17 days, and who has the mental grit to survive, is a singular experience. While we talk, I change out his socks and use duct tape to repair his sandals. Every member of the team is doing their job while being careful not to overwhelm the man. We help him into a harness and to the place where a rescuer is lowered from a helicopter. He is hooked up and pulled into the sky. I document the shelter and the various structures the man has built to catch the attention of searchers. The helicopter returns to pick up each member of our team. When it is my turn, I am hooked up and hoisted skyward. On the helicopter flight back to the command center, I am elated to have been a part of this incredible mission. I am also relieved to be done hiking for the day. To deal with the anxiety and stress of being a trial lawyer, and a human being, I train on my bicycle, I climb mountains, I ski, I swim and I do CrossFit. But nothing in my life relieves stress and refocuses my priorities like my work with Search and Rescue. Sometimes exhausting myself on a SAR mission is just the break I need. There is no doubting the mental, emotional and physical benefits of focused concentration on something outside of yourself. It is head-clearing and enlightening. David Linthorst’s practice focuses on law enforcement accountability, wrongful death and medical malpractice. Linthorst contributes to the OTLA Guardians of Civil Justice at the Sustaining Member level. He works at Andersen Morse & Linthorst, 1730 E. McAndrews Rd., Ste. A, Medford, OR 97504. He can be reached at david@ andersenlaw.com or 541-773-7000.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Nzc3ODM=