Malmstrom helicopter crew rescues father, son

  • Published
  • By Capt. David Kurle
  • 341st Space Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. (AFPN) --  A four-person crew from the 40th Helicopter Flight here hoisted a man and his son to safety near Dome-Shaped Mountain in western Montana on Feb. 15 after the two were reported missing since Feb. 14.

The two survivors, a 45-year-old man and his 16-year-old son, were flown to a hospital in Missoula after spending the night in the woods. The two had been on a snowmobile expedition approximately 50 miles south of Missoula and were reported missing after failing to meet up with the rest of their party.

The 341st Space Wing launched a UH-1N Huey helicopter at approximately 8:20 a.m. Feb. 15 after receiving a request from the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Langley Air Force Base, Va. The wing was asked to assist the Ravalli County Sheriff's Department in a search for the two missing snowmobilers.

The helicopter's crew spotted the man and his son on their first search pattern in the area, according to Lt. Col. Michael Madison, 40th Helicopter Flight commander.

"Other forces had searched the area on the ground," said Maj. Jason Brantley, weekend supervisor of flying. "The crew spotted the survivors in the deep timber."

The crew was able to find the father and son quickly because they discussed some of the common tendencies people display when lost and conducted their search based on that discussion, said Capt. Leroy Reynolds, aircraft commander.

"Survivors tend to walk downhill and stay close to running water," Captain Reynolds said. "We discussed that before searching the area. The interaction and foresight of the crew helped us find them quickly."

The helicopter crew used a hoist to rescue the two snowmobilers while the aircraft hovered 140 feet from the ground.

"Anytime you have to do a hoist (rescue) it's challenging because the crew has to maintain a precise hover," Major Brantley said. "If you think about holding a golf ball on a 140-foot string under your hand and trying to keep it steady, that's about what it's like to hoist survivors."

The crew reported the two survivors were in good condition but cold as they were flown from the scene to Missoula.

This recent rescue counts as the 353rd and 354th saves for the 40th Helicopter Flight since October 1973. The four-person crew was Capt. Leroy Reynolds, aircraft commander; 1st Lt. James Christensen, co-pilot; Master Sgt. Delbert Champ, flight engineer; and Lt. Col. Steven Goff, flight surgeon.