Search and Rescue

On a bluebird-sky day while taking a powder run through the backcountry of Oregon¿s iconic Mount Hood, mountain rescue doctor Christopher Van Tilburg nearly lost his life in a skiing accident. In a split second, his role as a physician was suddenly reversed as he became a critical patient in dire need of emergent care.
Search and Rescue: A Wilderness Doctor¿s Life-and-Death Tales of Risk and Reward is a thrilling collection of first-hand accounts of search and rescue operations from Oregon¿s legendary Mount Hood and other exotic locations around the world, by wilderness physician Dr. Christopher Van Tilburg. The exciting tales offer a fascinating inside look at how SAR teams operate, as well as the importance of taking risks and how to mitigate outdoor accidents.  
Search and Rescue combines hard science and a gripping narrative to analyze the relationship between risk and reward in the mountains, and in daily life. Author and mountain rescue doctor Van Tilburg¿s tragic, sudden, life-altering accident on Oregon¿s Mount Hood, where he has saved countless lives himself, provides the springboard for a deep, complex story on how risk is essential to success, personal fulfillment, and wellness in our lives. But it is also a cautionary tale, from a mountain rescue doctor¿s perspective, on how to mitigate risk and maximize safety to avoid dire consequences.

Christopher Van Tilburg is author of 11 books including Mountain Rescue Doctor: Wilderness Medicine in the Extremes of Nature, which was shortlisted for the Banff Festival of Mountain Books and the Oregon Book Awards. He has taught wilderness medicine, served as an expedition doctor, worked as a medical relief physician, and adventured in 100 countries in 6 continents. He lives and works in Hood River, Oregon, where he specializes in wilderness, emergency, travel, and occupational medicine. For more information, visit www.christophervantilburg.com.