UH-60 Black Hawk helps find stranded snowmachiners
A US Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk assisted with a search for two snowmachiners after they activated a distress beacon on 10 February.
A US Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk assisted with a search for two snowmachiners after they activated a distress beacon on 10 February.
Authorities were alerted by multiple spot beacon requests 2.5 miles (four kilometres) from Quartz Creek Airstrip, Alaska. The Alaska State Troopers requested the assistance of the Army National Guard, who were quick to deploy a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the 1st Battalion, 207th Aviation Regiment, with three crew members and one emergency medical technician from the Nome Volunteer Fire department.
The UH-60 found the two snowmachiners on the way to Serpentine Hot Springs. Their vhad become buried deep in snow, meaning that they were unable to continue their journey. After an examination by the medical technician, the pair were cleared for any serious injuries, though they were cold and exhausted from exposure to cold weather. The crew helped to dig out the snowmachine from the deep snow, before taking the two to a nearby heated shelter from which they could continue their journey the next morning.