This is an email Gabriel wrote to his family on the 1st of June 2009. This will help you to understand the wonderful young man he is...and a few reasons why we will NOT give up on finding him alive.
" Dearest mom, girlfriend and João, my top partners in this amazing backpacking trip, my dearest little sister,
After more than a week of a full-on experience into the heart of Africa, I’ve found this cyber café in Jinha, countryside of Uganda, just in front of river Nile…to I write you to say that I am truly overwhelmed and life is wonderfully good!
My days in Africa have been absolutely fantastic!!! After spending a few days in the house of a refugee from Congo in Nairobi, don’t ask me how I ended up in the remote village of the masais in Kenya, where I spent days running after giraffes, zebras and antilopes carrying on a spade and arrow. I was having a truly tribal experience, sleeping in these people houses and all that….oh, and among all my adventures in Kenya, I ended in style! I did a bike safari with my masai friend in a stunning national park…
So I’m preety roots here, walking for a week wrapped up in one of those colorful pieces of fabric, carrying on a stick of wood and a steal spade…all I know is that since I’ve arrived in Africa I haven’t seen ANY muzumgo (white man), besides myself…
Oh, by the way, in the middle of all that today I sent a child to school!!! It’s a long story, but to keep it simple, after spending a whole day walking around a small village in Uganda with a boy that, among other things, introduced me to his family, which lives in totally misery, and then for coincidence I went visiting this public school and was talking to the director, so I decided I would pay the enrollment fee and all the expenses so that this boy could go to the school until the end of the year…
The best about being in Africa is that only here I can travel the way I’ve always dreamt. Today for the second time I stayed at a hostel since I arrived in this continent, all other days I stayed and had meals with the locals, spending less than 3 dollars a day, which has allowed me to distribute the rest of my daily allowance among those who helped me along the way by feeding me or by receiving me in their homes. I am overwhelmed to live such adventure...making a real journey into the heart of Africa, a totally non-touristy one, in a sustainable way, being able to help a few Africans on the way...here with almost nothing you can make a huge difference in people’s lives...for instance with only 12 dollars I paid my friend’s rent in Congo for the whole month. With only 40 dollars I paid for one year of such a cool school for this other boy....
I could write for hours and hours about this first week in Africa, I am truly overwhelmed, this is all beyond my best expectations…but I’m writing just to say hello, because this night I took 4 different boats to cross a river from Kenya to Uganga, then I spent the whole day visiting farmers, schools, etc, all in this very remote village in the middle of nowhere in Ugana…I’ve met incredible people along the way and each day these people will introduce me to new people…and with each of these connections I go slowly diving into the heart of Africa…I’ve really created an incredible network of people around here.
Next week, after paying homage to the genocide victims in Ruanda and god-knows-what in Burundi, I will visit a diamond mine and a pigmeu community in the Congolese jungle together with the brother of a friend, then I’m off to a refugee camp in Tanzania where the uncle of another friend lives, to see if I can find an affordable way to climb Kilimanjaro…and then I will wait my gorgeous Cris to arrive in Dar es Salaam to yet another incredible honeymoon.
Ok, one paragraph about my two best friends in Kenya.
Alex Alembe. He was doing the last year of engineering in Uvira, his hometown in Congo. One night a group of men invaded his house. They killed his mother and his youngest sister, but he scaped through the window. He ended up in a refugee camp in Tanzania, where he stayed for 4 years, married a Tanzanian and had three kids. He moved to the outskirts of Nairobi where he spent the last years bringing gold and diamonds from Congo and selling them in other countries of East Africa. He managed to build a comfortable house for his family and several orphan kids. In the way back from one of these trips, he was stolen in the bus, they took everything he had, suitcase, money, diamonds, passport. He lost everything. He moved with all his family to a 12 square meter house. Despite all this shit, he carries on with 3 social projects, giving breakfast to 20 kids every day, helping the widows victims of Aids and organizing a football match every afternoon. He is saving saving whatever he can to run as a local mp in Congo in the next election.
TIA. This is Africa.??
Leonard. He is a Massai who’s mother received me at her house in Itwatso Ogindong. He was doing the last year on administration at the university of Nairobi. After three years of a dry season in the massai land, he had to quit university to bring the catlle belonging to his family in search of a better place, where they find some grass. He walked 500km in 8 days, conducting 100 animals, crossing cities, including the Nairobi airport! He struggles to preserve the massai culture and dreams to marry an American woman, preferably fat. He baptized me with a massai name, Lemaya. His brother Brain, 20, is highly respected in their tribe. At the age of 14, he killed a lion and therefore was seen as a mature man. When he was 15, he married a 12 year-old girl, and another one, 13. His parents chose both. He gave me his spade as a souvenir.
TIA. This is Africa.
Gotta go now.
Mom, sorry I haven’t called for so long. Will do my best to call you from Kampala tomorrow. Chris, will write you in a while….
Johnny, enjoy Russia brother! Russia Haracho! Russia Kracivaia!??
Kisses, Gabriel"
The story continues below with Rescue Mission updates...
Facundo Garcia GOER (Groupos Operacciones Especialles de Rescate) Argentina and ARTI Director for Latin America is joining is in charge of the Ground Search Team. Doug Copp is providing Disaster Mangement.
Wed, July 29, 2009; 1315 hours Atlantic Time Zone
The team is on scene in Malawi. They have gone up the mountain to search for Gabriel. Maggie O'Toole of the Malawi Mountain Club has made all the resources of her group available to our joint team and is actively working together with us to find Gabriel.
Thurs, July 30, 2009; 1315 hours Atlantic Time Zone
The team has spent the night setting up camp, planning and organizing the search during every daylight minute. The jungle is too dense, complicated and dangerous to search at night. The team is getting by on 4 hours sleep perday. The jungle area near the basecamp has been completely searched. The team will go up the top of the mountain. Argentinian Director of ARTI for Latin America has great experience with this type of mountain rescue. You can read about Facundo Garcia farther down this page.
Pedro Helmsley, close friend of Gabriel Buchmann has been working tirelessly to get another helicopter into the search area. Chris, Ganriel's girlfriend has arrived in Malawi. She is staying in the village, at the bottom of the mountain.
The team medic is busy trying to keep the team safe in an area so ripe with infectious disease that the life expectancy is only 43 years old. Before leaving for malawi, Marcel Schur informed Doug Copp that the jungle is full of malaria, yellow fever and man eating animals; Facundo Garcia has informed Doug Copp that this is not the case...that the area is difficult but NOT too dangerous. Nevertheless...This is NO party.
Doug Copp has organized Gabriel's friends into a group working to get resources of equipment and personnel into the mission.
The group is looking to make extensive media contacts so that money can go directly to the families website paypal account.
Fri, July 29, 2009; 1315 hours Atlantic Time Zone
The sat phones and cell phones don't work on the mountain top. Everything must be carried by hand and back. The area is too 'rough' for helicopters to land or donkeys to carry supplies. All equipment must be carried up the mountain on our backs.
The Team continues to search for Gabriel. The team are scheduled to come down to the lower base camp on Sunday for a quick shower, hot food and a quick rest before returning to the mountain top.
Doug Copp has contacted AKUT to see if 3 more mountain climbers are available to join on the mission. AKUT started as a mountain climbing club in 1992. Doug went to Turkey for a mountain rescue in 1994 and trained AKUT to start doing rescue. AKUT has worked at 589 missions since that iniital start and have worked with Doug Copp on many missions saving lives.
Report from the base camp:
Doug,
Started early (daybreak 0600)
Canadian team and Fecundo Split in two. Search from last know position (LKP) to peak for evidence of Gabriel on/off track.
2nd team search from river bed to peak along easiest escape route down from peak.
After a meeting with the CEO/Director IC of operations here. Developed new plan of attack.
15 member team to head out from northern reserve boundary along river bed southbound and upstream to the (LKP) tomorrow morning. This is the route he would have taken down the mountain had he missed the path to the Chisepo Hut.
11 member team to follow river from South West side up to the plateau where he could have made it is he became disorientated in the boulder fields south of main peak (Septiwa). This is very difficult route, heavy jungle and steep terrain all the way up.
10 member team to follow river from South east side northbound to where he may have gone once again if disorientated in the boulder fields. Again step sides and grade to a large drop off the plateau near boulder fields.
Canadian team to search the hard part. Boulder fields require technical rescue and confined space skill sets. Some of the boulders are the size of houses, all piled up and full of spaces. If he fell into one of these it would be difficult to get out, even without being injured. If he was injured in the fall it will be especially hard. Good note, there is plenty of drinking water everywhere.
We expect a Bell 206 on Sunday to help out. Take supplies up and get our professional observer up.
Sat, August 1, 2009; 1315 hours Atlantic Time Zone
From the MT: Doug, No gear really needed other than the helo. It is supposed to be here tomorrow. The team is staying up there until Tuesday. It is grueling work. Especially in the boulders and the jungle. Temp here is 28 not too hot but in the jungle you can imagine. The boulders work is slow because of the danger of entrapment and falling. We haven’t heard about these firefighters. Like I said about the internet here. It takes over an hour for a 1mb photo to go anywhere.
Doug, There is no way to get any video from up there. It is almost a 12 hour hike up there with gear. All day and very difficult. Fecundo even took a tumble getting up there himself. Communications is only through text messages every 2 hours. No power or way to charge anything there. Even the ranger radios only work from the peak to the west and only if you are ontop of it. The repeater is 20k to the south west and line of sight. Yeh, he just tripped going up in the pitch black and rolled around for a bit. Randi twisted her ankle a bit there as well. They are all fine now though. They finally got settled in up there at 0130 and I had them sleep in till 0700 then start out. It was over a 13 hour uphill climb. I sent you a Google link. If you pan and tilt it you can see the terrain is murder. They entered from the west and marched NE around the back of the crater then E to the hut.
I will send what I can. More to follow. The internet here is like Africa itself….
From Disaster Manager Doug Copp: We have been speaking with a group of Brazilian Firefighters who are requesting to join our mission.
We are all working tirelessly to save Gabriel.
Sunday, August 2, 2009; 0715 hours Atlantic Time Zone
The Bell 206/4 arrived today. Loaded her up with rations and Joaquin and sent them up to the mountain. The helo and 3 Canadian observers then completed the first of 2 air searches. The first was from Sapitwa to the SW along the ridges and valley to the river. The second was around Septiwa and over the boulder fields.
We have requested the helo for 3 more hours tomorrow am. This will allow the sun to illuminate the other side of the boulders in the fields. The 2 other teams of men moved down off the mountain by 1700. One (15 men in 3 groups of 5) from Chisepo Hut to the north along the river and off the mountain. One (10 men) from the north end of Little Lugeri river southbound and of the mountain. Third team (Mosses and 11 men) from Lichenya Hut north to the Old Telephone Box Shelter. This team will stay on the mountain without a rest until Tuesday Then they will come to the Basecamp for a rest and refocus on the search plan.
Mon, August 3, 2009; 6:15 hours Atlantic Time Zone
The team continues to search in several different micro-climate environments, every waking minute.
An email received today:
Hello,
this goes just as a quick message of incentive to all of you at ARTI.
I'm Brazilian but I never met Gabriel. In fact, I have never heard of him before this tragedy. But it's not difficult to see that he is a great person. The kind that makes you wish you had not only have heard of him, but also have met him, have talked to him, have borrowed some from his great knowledge, great experience, great heart.
And, speaking of great people, so are you all.
What you guys do is simply beautiful and amazing, and puts all the rest of us into some kind of jealousy, wondering how we can make our lives as meaningful as yours. Thanks for being there!
Best of luck with Gabriel and all of your future missions!
We are praying.
Julio Auto
Response from Doug Copp:
Dear Julio:
Everyone involved with this mission is doing what they feel they should be doing 'as people'. I thank you for your kind words.
Personally, the major reason that we did the TV program was to increase awareness of Gabriel's plight so that donations might go to the family, to pay for the helicopters and other expenses to save Gabriel.
The second reason , for me, is to help bring people together and see, by example, that 'big things' can be done by people, of good heart, who work together independent of 'politics', nationality and other 'reasons' that are used as excuses to let evil have it's way..
I expect, as usual, retribution and an enormous amount of hatred and evil to attack me for helping Gabriel. This is 'normal'. My life has been threatened and even 'bullet holes', in my wife's car for helping people, before.
Personally, I thank you for your kind words because it makes it easier to tolerate the abuse I will endure ; knowing, that somebody might have been inspired to help people, like we try to do.
thanks, to you
doug copp
Tues, August 4, 2009; 14:11 hours Atlantic Time Zone
The team came down from the Mountain for the first time. Doug Copp spoke with on-site mission leader Facundo Garcia and was debriefed, in detail, for the first time; since, the team began the search. This was due to lack of any communication capability is this very rough area. Facundo will be providing video footage and a complete break down of this mission for this website when he is able to reach an internet possible area.
The Fire Dept of Brazil has been sent by the Government of Brazil. They are expected to arrive, tomorrow and be debriefed by Facundo Garcia. facundo has extensive experience training mountain rescue personal in Brazil ( ;as well as, Special Forces from the USA and other countries.
Facundo has informed me that the team that went up the mountain was joined by hundreds of local volunteers and that they all worked till they were exhausted with blisters on their hands, from climbing.
Based upon Facundo Garcia, on scene report, the attempt to obtain special 'penetrating infr red vision' life detection equipment was cancelled.
Wed, Aug 5, 2009; 15:00 hours Atlantic Time Zone
Gabriel was recovered early this am. We are very disappointed that we could not save the life of this wonderful and promising young man but are very grateful that our search and rescue management plan worked and we were able to successfully recover Gabriel's body.
I have already relayed my deepest heartfelt sympathies to the tragic loss of Gabriel, to his family and Christina. Sometimes life is tough and sometimes it is even tougher.
The team members selected for this mission from Canadian, GOER and the locals who worked as volunteers were extraordinary.
Special mention should be given to Pedro Helmsley, a friend of Gabriel who worked tirelessly with myself (Doug Copp) around the clock. He helped me to implement our search and recovery plan.
The logistics and material support needed to get 'rescuers' from the far corners of the world, supply them with volunteers, provide helicopters flown in from 2,000 miles away, get Government support, raise awareness to provide funding for the expenses, provide a reward of 10 years annual salary to the local native who was successful, and the hundreds of other details were all done with the request from Pedro that he wanted to do more.
As of this moment, I logged 788 emails on my computer; regarding this mission and countless phone calls. I expect that Pedro logged more. This was a momentous effort.
I told Brazilian TV, today, that Pedro is the kind of person who doesn't want a medal but should get one.I told Vivianne of Fantastico (The Brazilian equivalent of 20/20) that she should interview Pedro. This mission could not have been successfull in recovering Gabriel without him. I told Pedro what to do and he got it done quickly, with intelligence, perserverence and determination. Pedro was Gabriel's friend and a 'son' of the family.
I would like Pedro to work with me again on another mission. Pedro was overwhelmed with emotion as he spoke with me, today. I told him that he could count on me and speak with me at any time concerning anything. I told him that he had made a friend, in me.
Globo TV, the largest TV network, in Latin America will be flying a crew to Malawi, tonight, to interview the team members, on location.
Brazilian Firefighters have not yet arrived but are expected, later, today.
** Thursday, August 6, 2009; 13:55 hours Atlantic Time Zone **
Gabriel's body was brought down from the mountain, today and taken to the Police Hospital prior to preparations for return to Brazil.
Brazilian TV arrived, today, to provide coverage of the 'Malawi Mission' and the recovery of Gabriel.
Links will be provided to view this 'special programing', as they become available.
** Note that our rescue team is composed of all unpaid volunteers. We do NOT solicit donations for ourselves or our team. **
** To make a donation directly to the family of Gabriel go to the families website ** Click here to watch a video of Gabriel, read more about this kind hearted young man and make a paypal donation, to his family, if you can.
** Tuesday, August 18, 2009; 13:55 hours Atlantic Time Zone **
An email from Pedro Helmsley, the family representative for this mission:
I'm sending you the videos. It's not exactly FTP, but you will receive an email from FileFlyer with a link to download it. I translated it myself, so the English shouldn't be very good, but I'm sure it's a righteous translation and you won't miss a word. Putting subtitles on it took me sometime (I actually damaged the files the first time), but I think it's ok now. Also, we got an 'official' authorization from Globo TV, I don't think it's very relevant but neverthless I asked for it - just in case. I'm sorry it took me all this time.
If you have any trouble due to this operation, me and the family will do everything to help. Pehaps an official statement might help, I don't know. Just let me know if you have ANY kind of trouble, I will do whatever I can.
The last days have been important for everyone. No one realized how tired he or she was, both phisically and emotionally. Now the necessary rituals have taken place and we can deal with our feelings. In my case, I think I've been through every human feeling in the past days: sometimes I miss Gabriel, and remember what he did and I think of what he would do. Sometimes I hate him for being so stupid. Sometimes I envy him for having done so much in 28 years. Most of the times I'm sad. But I think this is how it goes.
Not many things to do anymore... bureaucracy has been dealt with. Just standard procedures from now on, I guess. We will check the last expenses tomorrow (family issues have delayed that, we've had minor problems with some donors, no big deal).
The most important thing I want to say now is that I am honored to have worked with you, to have had your support in such a difficult moment. To be honest, I didn't know institutions like ARTI, I didn't know people like you, I didn't know all the things you do. Now I know and it means a lot to me.
It's not time I made specific plans, but I would like to offer something in return. It's not only about money (which I will donate when I can), it's just something that will help someone go back home. I would like to talk to you about that at some moment, pehaps not now, but at some moment.
I just want to say I'm proud of knowing you and your team. What you do makes me believe in people more than I ever believed. I've always tried to do the 'right' thing, but now I see it's possible to go way beyond 'right'. Thank you for all your effort, for every conversation, for everything.
One of my favorite poems, by a great Portuguese poet (Fernando Pessoa), goes like this (again, sorry for the bad translation, I swear it's really beautiful if Portuguese):
"Everything is worthwhile
when the soul is not meager"
Well, at least it will be worthwhile waking up every morning as long as I know there is someone dignified in the world. And there is.
I think this is it by now...
Thank you for everything. I will never forget.
Your friend
Pedro
An email from Team member X concludes our mission:
Dear Doug,
** I just sent you an email explaining the fact that I was fired from XXX, **
so I have to reorganize myself in order to keep surviving in this country.
I would love to give you a hand, you know I would. But due my unemployment
condition I haave to fight back and get a job ASAP. So no rescue missions
or other things rather than search for a job for a while amigo. I hope you
understand it my friend.
Best regards!
Team member X
Comment by Doug Copp. We end this mission having successfully recovered the body of Gabriel. Team member X, the key XX of the search team has been fired, by XXX Corporation, for taking the time to recover Gabriel. Myself, in charge of the Disaster Management, received a particularily nasty hate mail, yesterday , filled with lies from FEMA and Thompson Lang. Their idea of revenge, for the 25 years I have spent, as an unpaid volunteer; in spite of, their efforts to destroy me.
I am saddenned that XXX Corporation's 'greed' has 'strangled' their humanity.
Now, Team member X can't save lives, again, until he gets back on his financial feet.
Our team members suffer a lot, but never give up.
This is an email Gabriel wrote to his family on the 1st of June 2009. This will help you to understand the wonderful young man he is...and a few reasons why we will NOT give up on finding him alive.
" Dearest mom, girlfriend and João, my top partners in this amazing backpacking trip, my dearest little sister,
After more than a week of a full-on experience into the heart of Africa, I’ve found this cyber café in Jinha, countryside of Uganda, just in front of river Nile…to I write you to say that I am truly overwhelmed and life is wonderfully good!
My days in Africa have been absolutely fantastic!!! After spending a few days in the house of a refugee from Congo in Nairobi, don’t ask me how I ended up in the remote village of the masais in Kenya, where I spent days running after giraffes, zebras and antilopes carrying on a spade and arrow. I was having a truly tribal experience, sleeping in these people houses and all that….oh, and among all my adventures in Kenya, I ended in style! I did a bike safari with my masai friend in a stunning national park…
So I’m preety roots here, walking for a week wrapped up in one of those colorful pieces of fabric, carrying on a stick of wood and a steal spade…all I know is that since I’ve arrived in Africa I haven’t seen ANY muzumgo (white man), besides myself…
Oh, by the way, in the middle of all that today I sent a child to school!!! It’s a long story, but to keep it simple, after spending a whole day walking around a small village in Uganda with a boy that, among other things, introduced me to his family, which lives in totally misery, and then for coincidence I went visiting this public school and was talking to the director, so I decided I would pay the enrollment fee and all the expenses so that this boy could go to the school until the end of the year…
The best about being in Africa is that only here I can travel the way I’ve always dreamt. Today for the second time I stayed at a hostel since I arrived in this continent, all other days I stayed and had meals with the locals, spending less than 3 dollars a day, which has allowed me to distribute the rest of my daily allowance among those who helped me along the way by feeding me or by receiving me in their homes. I am overwhelmed to live such adventure...making a real journey into the heart of Africa, a totally non-touristy one, in a sustainable way, being able to help a few Africans on the way...here with almost nothing you can make a huge difference in people’s lives...for instance with only 12 dollars I paid my friend’s rent in Congo for the whole month. With only 40 dollars I paid for one year of such a cool school for this other boy....
I could write for hours and hours about this first week in Africa, I am truly overwhelmed, this is all beyond my best expectations…but I’m writing just to say hello, because this night I took 4 different boats to cross a river from Kenya to Uganga, then I spent the whole day visiting farmers, schools, etc, all in this very remote village in the middle of nowhere in Ugana…I’ve met incredible people along the way and each day these people will introduce me to new people…and with each of these connections I go slowly diving into the heart of Africa…I’ve really created an incredible network of people around here.
Next week, after paying homage to the genocide victims in Ruanda and god-knows-what in Burundi, I will visit a diamond mine and a pigmeu community in the Congolese jungle together with the brother of a friend, then I’m off to a refugee camp in Tanzania where the uncle of another friend lives, to see if I can find an affordable way to climb Kilimanjaro…and then I will wait my gorgeous Cris to arrive in Dar es Salaam to yet another incredible honeymoon.
Ok, one paragraph about my two best friends in Kenya.
Alex Alembe. He was doing the last year of engineering in Uvira, his hometown in Congo. One night a group of men invaded his house. They killed his mother and his youngest sister, but he scaped through the window. He ended up in a refugee camp in Tanzania, where he stayed for 4 years, married a Tanzanian and had three kids. He moved to the outskirts of Nairobi where he spent the last years bringing gold and diamonds from Congo and selling them in other countries of East Africa. He managed to build a comfortable house for his family and several orphan kids. In the way back from one of these trips, he was stolen in the bus, they took everything he had, suitcase, money, diamonds, passport. He lost everything. He moved with all his family to a 12 square meter house. Despite all this shit, he carries on with 3 social projects, giving breakfast to 20 kids every day, helping the widows victims of Aids and organizing a football match every afternoon. He is saving saving whatever he can to run as a local mp in Congo in the next election.
TIA. This is Africa.??
Leonard. He is a Massai who’s mother received me at her house in Itwatso Ogindong. He was doing the last year on administration at the university of Nairobi. After three years of a dry season in the massai land, he had to quit university to bring the catlle belonging to his family in search of a better place, where they find some grass. He walked 500km in 8 days, conducting 100 animals, crossing cities, including the Nairobi airport! He struggles to preserve the massai culture and dreams to marry an American woman, preferably fat. He baptized me with a massai name, Lemaya. His brother Brain, 20, is highly respected in their tribe. At the age of 14, he killed a lion and therefore was seen as a mature man. When he was 15, he married a 12 year-old girl, and another one, 13. His parents chose both. He gave me his spade as a souvenir.
TIA. This is Africa.
Gotta go now.
Mom, sorry I haven’t called for so long. Will do my best to call you from Kampala tomorrow. Chris, will write you in a while….
Johnny, enjoy Russia brother! Russia Haracho! Russia Kracivaia!??
Kisses, Gabriel"
The story continues below with Rescue Mission updates...
Facundo Garcia GOER (Groupos Operacciones Especialles de Rescate) Argentina and ARTI Director for Latin America is joining is in charge of the Ground Search Team. Doug Copp is providing Disaster Mangement.
Wed, July 29, 2009; 1315 hours Atlantic Time Zone
The team is on scene in Malawi. They have gone up the mountain to search for Gabriel. Maggie O'Toole of the Malawi Mountain Club has made all the resources of her group available to our joint team and is actively working together with us to find Gabriel.
Thurs, July 30, 2009; 1315 hours Atlantic Time Zone
The team has spent the night setting up camp, planning and organizing the search during every daylight minute. The jungle is too dense, complicated and dangerous to search at night. The team is getting by on 4 hours sleep perday. The jungle area near the basecamp has been completely searched. The team will go up the top of the mountain. Argentinian Director of ARTI for Latin America has great experience with this type of mountain rescue. You can read about Facundo Garcia farther down this page.
Pedro Helmsley, close friend of Gabriel Buchmann has been working tirelessly to get another helicopter into the search area. Chris, Ganriel's girlfriend has arrived in Malawi. She is staying in the village, at the bottom of the mountain.
The team medic is busy trying to keep the team safe in an area so ripe with infectious disease that the life expectancy is only 43 years old. Before leaving for malawi, Marcel Schur informed Doug Copp that the jungle is full of malaria, yellow fever and man eating animals; Facundo Garcia has informed Doug Copp that this is not the case...that the area is difficult but NOT too dangerous. Nevertheless...This is NO party.
Doug Copp has organized Gabriel's friends into a group working to get resources of equipment and personnel into the mission.
The group is looking to make extensive media contacts so that money can go directly to the families website paypal account.
Fri, July 29, 2009; 1315 hours Atlantic Time Zone
The sat phones and cell phones don't work on the mountain top. Everything must be carried by hand and back. The area is too 'rough' for helicopters to land or donkeys to carry supplies. All equipment must be carried up the mountain on our backs.
The Team continues to search for Gabriel. The team are scheduled to come down to the lower base camp on Sunday for a quick shower, hot food and a quick rest before returning to the mountain top.
Doug Copp has contacted AKUT to see if 3 more mountain climbers are available to join on the mission. AKUT started as a mountain climbing club in 1992. Doug went to Turkey for a mountain rescue in 1994 and trained AKUT to start doing rescue. AKUT has worked at 589 missions since that iniital start and have worked with Doug Copp on many missions saving lives.
Report from the base camp:
Doug,
Started early (daybreak 0600)
Canadian team and Fecundo Split in two. Search from last know position (LKP) to peak for evidence of Gabriel on/off track.
2nd team search from river bed to peak along easiest escape route down from peak.
After a meeting with the CEO/Director IC of operations here. Developed new plan of attack.
15 member team to head out from northern reserve boundary along river bed southbound and upstream to the (LKP) tomorrow morning. This is the route he would have taken down the mountain had he missed the path to the Chisepo Hut.
11 member team to follow river from South West side up to the plateau where he could have made it is he became disorientated in the boulder fields south of main peak (Septiwa). This is very difficult route, heavy jungle and steep terrain all the way up.
10 member team to follow river from South east side northbound to where he may have gone once again if disorientated in the boulder fields. Again step sides and grade to a large drop off the plateau near boulder fields.
Canadian team to search the hard part. Boulder fields require technical rescue and confined space skill sets. Some of the boulders are the size of houses, all piled up and full of spaces. If he fell into one of these it would be difficult to get out, even without being injured. If he was injured in the fall it will be especially hard. Good note, there is plenty of drinking water everywhere.
We expect a Bell 206 on Sunday to help out. Take supplies up and get our professional observer up.
Sat, August 1, 2009; 1315 hours Atlantic Time Zone
From the MT: Doug, No gear really needed other than the helo. It is supposed to be here tomorrow. The team is staying up there until Tuesday. It is grueling work. Especially in the boulders and the jungle. Temp here is 28 not too hot but in the jungle you can imagine. The boulders work is slow because of the danger of entrapment and falling. We haven’t heard about these firefighters. Like I said about the internet here. It takes over an hour for a 1mb photo to go anywhere.
Doug, There is no way to get any video from up there. It is almost a 12 hour hike up there with gear. All day and very difficult. Fecundo even took a tumble getting up there himself. Communications is only through text messages every 2 hours. No power or way to charge anything there. Even the ranger radios only work from the peak to the west and only if you are ontop of it. The repeater is 20k to the south west and line of sight. Yeh, he just tripped going up in the pitch black and rolled around for a bit. Randi twisted her ankle a bit there as well. They are all fine now though. They finally got settled in up there at 0130 and I had them sleep in till 0700 then start out. It was over a 13 hour uphill climb. I sent you a Google link. If you pan and tilt it you can see the terrain is murder. They entered from the west and marched NE around the back of the crater then E to the hut.
I will send what I can. More to follow. The internet here is like Africa itself….
From Disaster Manager Doug Copp: We have been speaking with a group of Brazilian Firefighters who are requesting to join our mission.
We are all working tirelessly to save Gabriel.
Sunday, August 2, 2009; 0715 hours Atlantic Time Zone
The Bell 206/4 arrived today. Loaded her up with rations and Joaquin and sent them up to the mountain. The helo and 3 Canadian observers then completed the first of 2 air searches. The first was from Sapitwa to the SW along the ridges and valley to the river. The second was around Septiwa and over the boulder fields.
We have requested the helo for 3 more hours tomorrow am. This will allow the sun to illuminate the other side of the boulders in the fields. The 2 other teams of men moved down off the mountain by 1700. One (15 men in 3 groups of 5) from Chisepo Hut to the north along the river and off the mountain. One (10 men) from the north end of Little Lugeri river southbound and of the mountain. Third team (Mosses and 11 men) from Lichenya Hut north to the Old Telephone Box Shelter. This team will stay on the mountain without a rest until Tuesday Then they will come to the Basecamp for a rest and refocus on the search plan.
Mon, August 3, 2009; 6:15 hours Atlantic Time Zone
The team continues to search in several different micro-climate environments, every waking minute.
An email received today:
Hello,
this goes just as a quick message of incentive to all of you at ARTI.
I'm Brazilian but I never met Gabriel. In fact, I have never heard of him before this tragedy. But it's not difficult to see that he is a great person. The kind that makes you wish you had not only have heard of him, but also have met him, have talked to him, have borrowed some from his great knowledge, great experience, great heart.
And, speaking of great people, so are you all.
What you guys do is simply beautiful and amazing, and puts all the rest of us into some kind of jealousy, wondering how we can make our lives as meaningful as yours. Thanks for being there!
Best of luck with Gabriel and all of your future missions!
We are praying.
Julio Auto
Response from Doug Copp:
Dear Julio:
Everyone involved with this mission is doing what they feel they should be doing 'as people'. I thank you for your kind words.
Personally, the major reason that we did the TV program was to increase awareness of Gabriel's plight so that donations might go to the family, to pay for the helicopters and other expenses to save Gabriel.
The second reason , for me, is to help bring people together and see, by example, that 'big things' can be done by people, of good heart, who work together independent of 'politics', nationality and other 'reasons' that are used as excuses to let evil have it's way..
I expect, as usual, retribution and an enormous amount of hatred and evil to attack me for helping Gabriel. This is 'normal'. My life has been threatened and even 'bullet holes', in my wife's car for helping people, before.
Personally, I thank you for your kind words because it makes it easier to tolerate the abuse I will endure ; knowing, that somebody might have been inspired to help people, like we try to do.
thanks, to you
doug copp
Tues, August 4, 2009; 14:11 hours Atlantic Time Zone
The team came down from the Mountain for the first time. Doug Copp spoke with on-site mission leader Facundo Garcia and was debriefed, in detail, for the first time; since, the team began the search. This was due to lack of any communication capability is this very rough area. Facundo will be providing video footage and a complete break down of this mission for this website when he is able to reach an internet possible area.
The Fire Dept of Brazil has been sent by the Government of Brazil. They are expected to arrive, tomorrow and be debriefed by Facundo Garcia. facundo has extensive experience training mountain rescue personal in Brazil ( ;as well as, Special Forces from the USA and other countries.
Facundo has informed me that the team that went up the mountain was joined by hundreds of local volunteers and that they all worked till they were exhausted with blisters on their hands, from climbing.
Based upon Facundo Garcia, on scene report, the attempt to obtain special 'penetrating infr red vision' life detection equipment was cancelled.
Wed, Aug 5, 2009; 15:00 hours Atlantic Time Zone
Gabriel was recovered early this am. We are very disappointed that we could not save the life of this wonderful and promising young man but are very grateful that our search and rescue management plan worked and we were able to successfully recover Gabriel's body.
I have already relayed my deepest heartfelt sympathies to the tragic loss of Gabriel, to his family and Christina. Sometimes life is tough and sometimes it is even tougher.
The team members selected for this mission from Canadian, GOER and the locals who worked as volunteers were extraordinary.
Special mention should be given to Pedro Helmsley, a friend of Gabriel who worked tirelessly with myself (Doug Copp) around the clock. He helped me to implement our search and recovery plan.
The logistics and material support needed to get 'rescuers' from the far corners of the world, supply them with volunteers, provide helicopters flown in from 2,000 miles away, get Government support, raise awareness to provide funding for the expenses, provide a reward of 10 years annual salary to the local native who was successful, and the hundreds of other details were all done with the request from Pedro that he wanted to do more.
As of this moment, I logged 788 emails on my computer; regarding this mission and countless phone calls. I expect that Pedro logged more. This was a momentous effort.
I told Brazilian TV, today, that Pedro is the kind of person who doesn't want a medal but should get one.I told Vivianne of Fantastico (The Brazilian equivalent of 20/20) that she should interview Pedro. This mission could not have been successfull in recovering Gabriel without him. I told Pedro what to do and he got it done quickly, with intelligence, perserverence and determination. Pedro was Gabriel's friend and a 'son' of the family.
I would like Pedro to work with me again on another mission. Pedro was overwhelmed with emotion as he spoke with me, today. I told him that he could count on me and speak with me at any time concerning anything. I told him that he had made a friend, in me.
Globo TV, the largest TV network, in Latin America will be flying a crew to Malawi, tonight, to interview the team members, on location.
Brazilian Firefighters have not yet arrived but are expected, later, today.
** Thursday, August 6, 2009; 13:55 hours Atlantic Time Zone **
Gabriel's body was brought down from the mountain, today and taken to the Police Hospital prior to preparations for return to Brazil.
Brazilian TV arrived, today, to provide coverage of the 'Malawi Mission' and the recovery of Gabriel.
Links will be provided to view this 'special programing', as they become available.
** Note that our rescue team is composed of all unpaid volunteers. We do NOT solicit donations for ourselves or our team. **
** To make a donation directly to the family of Gabriel go to the families website ** Click here to watch a video of Gabriel, read more about this kind hearted young man and make a paypal donation, to his family, if you can.
** Tuesday, August 18, 2009; 13:55 hours Atlantic Time Zone **
An email from Pedro Helmsley, the family representative for this mission:
I'm sending you the videos. It's not exactly FTP, but you will receive an email from FileFlyer with a link to download it. I translated it myself, so the English shouldn't be very good, but I'm sure it's a righteous translation and you won't miss a word. Putting subtitles on it took me sometime (I actually damaged the files the first time), but I think it's ok now. Also, we got an 'official' authorization from Globo TV, I don't think it's very relevant but neverthless I asked for it - just in case. I'm sorry it took me all this time.
If you have any trouble due to this operation, me and the family will do everything to help. Pehaps an official statement might help, I don't know. Just let me know if you have ANY kind of trouble, I will do whatever I can.
The last days have been important for everyone. No one realized how tired he or she was, both phisically and emotionally. Now the necessary rituals have taken place and we can deal with our feelings. In my case, I think I've been through every human feeling in the past days: sometimes I miss Gabriel, and remember what he did and I think of what he would do. Sometimes I hate him for being so stupid. Sometimes I envy him for having done so much in 28 years. Most of the times I'm sad. But I think this is how it goes.
Not many things to do anymore... bureaucracy has been dealt with. Just standard procedures from now on, I guess. We will check the last expenses tomorrow (family issues have delayed that, we've had minor problems with some donors, no big deal).
The most important thing I want to say now is that I am honored to have worked with you, to have had your support in such a difficult moment. To be honest, I didn't know institutions like ARTI, I didn't know people like you, I didn't know all the things you do. Now I know and it means a lot to me.
It's not time I made specific plans, but I would like to offer something in return. It's not only about money (which I will donate when I can), it's just something that will help someone go back home. I would like to talk to you about that at some moment, pehaps not now, but at some moment.
I just want to say I'm proud of knowing you and your team. What you do makes me believe in people more than I ever believed. I've always tried to do the 'right' thing, but now I see it's possible to go way beyond 'right'. Thank you for all your effort, for every conversation, for everything.
One of my favorite poems, by a great Portuguese poet (Fernando Pessoa), goes like this (again, sorry for the bad translation, I swear it's really beautiful if Portuguese):
"Everything is worthwhile
when the soul is not meager"
Well, at least it will be worthwhile waking up every morning as long as I know there is someone dignified in the world. And there is.
I think this is it by now...
Thank you for everything. I will never forget.
Your friend
Pedro
An email from Team member X concludes our mission:
Dear Doug,
** I just sent you an email explaining the fact that I was fired from XXX, **
so I have to reorganize myself in order to keep surviving in this country.
I would love to give you a hand, you know I would. But due my unemployment
condition I haave to fight back and get a job ASAP. So no rescue missions
or other things rather than search for a job for a while amigo. I hope you
understand it my friend.
Best regards!
Team member X
Comment by Doug Copp. We end this mission having successfully recovered the body of Gabriel. Team member X, the key XX of the search team has been fired, by XXX Corporation, for taking the time to recover Gabriel. Myself, in charge of the Disaster Management, received a particularily nasty hate mail, yesterday , filled with lies from FEMA and Thompson Lang. Their idea of revenge, for the 25 years I have spent, as an unpaid volunteer; in spite of, their efforts to destroy me.
I am saddenned that XXX Corporation's 'greed' has 'strangled' their humanity.
Now, Team member X can't save lives, again, until he gets back on his financial feet.
Our team members suffer a lot, but never give up.
