UTAH DOCTOR ACCUSED OF LYING FOR DENALI HELICOPTER RESCUE

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA» A Utah doctor is accused of lying about ill patients in his climbing party to get a high-altitude government helicopter to rescue him off the tallest mountain in North America after a failed summit and of destroying evidence.

Dr. Jason Lance, a radiologist in Ogden, Utah, was charged Tuesday with three misdemeanors from his May attempt to summit Denali, a 20,310-foot peak about 180 miles north of Anchorage.

Lance and another man named in the court documents as A.R. decided to become a team on May 24 at a camp at 14,200 feet to begin their summit along the West Buttress. Somewhere below 19,200 feet, Lance saw his partner begin to exhibit symptoms of altitude sickness. Lance decided his partner was too ill to continue the summit, and later, the court documents say Lance abandoned his own summit attempt while nearing Denali Pass at 18,200 feet.

While descending, A.R. fell from the top of Denali Pass, plummeting about 1,000 feet. Lance triggered a satellite communication device and reported the fall: “No injuries. Stuck without equipment after climber fall. Request assisst (sic) for evac.” The center advised him to contact Denali National Park.

Nearly an hour later, park officials told him the helicopter was no longer flying that night and the only option was to descend.

After receiving that message, Lance responded 21 minutes later: “Cant descend safely. Patients in shock. Early hypothermia. Cant you land east of pass?”

Given that medical news, the helicopter launched but hadn’t informed Lance. Shortly after, it abandoned the mission when guides at a base camp reported climbers descending.

The next day Denali Mountaineering Ranger Chris Erickson, who is also a law enforcement officer, interviewed Lance at base camp. Erickson said he was to safeguard all of A.R.’S equipment, including his satellite communication device. According to court documents, Lance refused to hand over the device.

Although Erickson ordered him not to delete any messages off the device, authorities allege he zipped himself inside his tent alone for up to five minutes before handing it over.

Deleted messages obtained through a search warrant served on the manufacturer showed additional messages between Lance and the manufacturer’s rescue center. Among them were Lance’s proclamation that there were no injuries and they simply lacked the proper equipment to descend, court documents say.

Lance faces three counts, interfering with and violating the order of a government employee and for filing a false report. Lance declined to comment to Thursday.