Injured hiker taken to safety by SAR team
A rescue mission was carried out by a SAR team from the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, US to rescue an injured hiker
AWS1 Joshua Vest
A rescue mission was carried out by a SAR team from the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, US to rescue an injured hiker stuck on Mount Adams, part of the Cascade Mountain range.
The five-member crew took to the air at 13:03 hrs on 3 July after a 55-year-old hiker had called to report that he had fallen and sustained a leg injury. He had been hiking at a height of approximately 7,200 ft (2,200 m).
The crew worked with US Forest Service park rangers to decide how best to evacuate the man. The crew brought the chopper in line with a nearby ridge and then two members rappelled down to help the casualty. The team on the ground dressed the hiker’s leg and he was then hoisted up into the helicopter. Finally, they transported him to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Centre in Vancouver for further treatment.
Hospital corpsman first class Wayne Papalski said: “The entire crew did a great job of taking our time today to make sure that all of the right decisions were made. We analysed every problem and were able to effectively rescue a hiker in need.”