State police rescue hiker with helicopter
The Maryland State Police aviation unit rescued a hiker in Frederick on Sunday. Here is a statement describing the incident:
Two Maryland State Police Helicopters collaborated with a regional Helicopter Emergency Aerial Tactical, or "HEAT" team, comprised of members from the Frederick County Advanced Technical Rescue Team, to successfully rescue an injured hiker from a steep and rugged area on the face of Sugarloaf Mountain.
At approximately 12:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 11, 2010, SYSCOM, the communications center for the Maryland State Police Aviation Command, received a request from the Frederick County Emergency Operations Center for a hoist rescue and medevac of a 17 year-old male hiker who had fallen approximately 30-50 ft down the mountain, sustaining serious injuries.
Due to the remote location of the patient and the steep terrain that would have to be overcome, it was determined that an overhead hoist rescue would be the safest means of removal, for both the
patient and the rescuers. SYSCOM in turn dispatched the two closest multi-mission helicopters to the scene.
MSP Helicopter Trooper 3, based in Frederick County, was dispatched along with Trooper 2, based in Prince George’s County. Trooper 2 responded to the scene to meet Trooper 3. After size-up and coordination, it was determined that Trooper 2 would utilize the hoist to lower a rescue litter to 6 HEAT personnel who had been able to maneuver to the patient on foot utilizing ropes. Once the HEAT personnel had the rescue litter on the ground, they loaded the patient into it and then tended trail lines, to guide the victim, as he was lifted by Trooper 2’s hoist, back up to the
helicopter.
The patient was flown back to a hard surface landing area where Trooper 3 was waiting. The injured
hiker was seamlessly transferred to Trooper 3, where the victim was subsequently transported to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. The victim remains hospitalized at this time, recovering from his injuries.
HEAT Teams are regionalized resources of specially trained firefighters who are equipped and available Statewide to assist MSP Aviation Command with performing a wide range of rescues using the multi-mission capabilities of MSP helicopters. The Frederick County Advanced Technical Rescue HEAT Team generally assists on all aerial rescue requests in the mid-western portions of the State.
The Maryland State Police Aviation Command has served Maryland citizens since 1970, and operates a fleet of eleven (11) helicopters from seven (7) bases throughout the State on a 24/7/365 basis. Missions include medevac, law enforcement, search & rescue, homeland security, and disaster assessment. The success of rescues performed by the Aviation Command depends a great deal on the cooperative effort of local fire, rescue, EMS, and law enforcement agencies.
