Malmstrom Huey crew rescues injured hiker

  • Published
  • By Christy Mason
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs Office
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. (AFNS) --  A UH-1N Huey crew assigned to the 40th Helicopter Squadron here recorded the unit's 377th save when it rescued an injured hiker July 2 in the Mission Mountain Range, northeast of Missoula, Mont.

A hiker slipped down a muddy cliff into downed timber, and his calf was impaled by a tree branch July 1 while hiking on a steep trail.

"We were alerted very early that morning by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, who had received a request from the Missoula County Sheriff's department, that a hiker had been injured and was unable to walk," said Capt. Jesse Greer, the mission co-pilot.

As the crew got near the site of the accident, it encountered some difficulties before being able to rescue the hiker.

"Due to heavy rain and low visibility, we had to land at the airport at Seeley Lake and wait about an hour. Once we took off from there, we again were forced to land in Condon due to low clouds and fog," Captain Greer said.

Once the clouds lifted, the crew was able to get to the hiker who had been stabilized by the Missoula County Search and Rescue team.

"The crew lowered me down first on the penetrator, then lowered the Stokes litter stretcher down after me," said Maj. David Oldham, the mission flight surgeon. "We also used a deflatable backboard to secure the man. It took about 10 to 15 minutes to get him ready for the flight."

The deflatable backboard is quite new to the medical group and hadn't been used on a live patient to date.

"It's basically a blanket that we wrap around the patient and then deflate the air from it, like shrink wrap," Major Oldham said. "It's very beneficial in these types of situations where the patient has to be lifted to the helicopter. It kept him in a fixed position and stabilized him in the litter preventing any further damage. This is the first time I'm aware that it has been used in a rescue situation for us."

After the injured man was safely secured in the aircraft, the crew rushed him to the Missoula airport where an ambulance was waiting to transport him to the hospital.

"I was genuinely impressed with the helicopter crew and how fluidly they worked together to make the rescue go off without a hitch. It was an honor to work with them," Major Oldham said.

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Staff Sgt. Michael Frances lowers a yellow forest penetrator, like the one used to rescue  an injured hiker Juy 2, 2010, near Missoula, Mont. Sergeant Frances is a flight engineer from the 40th Helicopter Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Eydie Sakura)