JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — Airmen with the Alaska Air National Guard’s 210th and 212th Rescue Squadrons rescued a 90-year-old man near Hiline Lake, Oct. 1, after he had fallen from the roof of his remote cabin.
The Alaska Rescue Coordination Center received notification from a 406 personal locator beacon through their computer system and contacted the Alaska State Troopers, according to John Morse, deputy director of the Alaska RCC.
The Alaska State Troopers then requested the assistance of the Alaska Air National Guard for the rescue mission.
“We got the exact coordinates and contact information from the beacon registration,” he said. “After calling the contacts, we also got a description of the cabin.”
The Alaska Air National Guard accepted the mission at approximately 5:45 p.m. and then launched an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter from the 210th Rescue Squadron with a team of Guardian Angels from the 212th Rescue Squadron on board, out of JBER.
Guardian Angels teams are highly trained medical personnel made up of a pararescueman and a combat rescue officer who both specialize in conducting high-risk rescue missions.
With the coordinates provided by the beacon, the helicopter was able to fly directly to the cabin, which was approximately 50 miles northwest from Anchorage.
Once the helicopter got to the location, it was able to land near the cabin, and then the Guardian Angel team loaded the distressed man onto a stokes litter and transported him back to the helicopter, said Morse.
The man was then flown to Providence Hospital in Anchorage and released in stable condition to medical personnel there.
“The system worked exactly how it is supposed to,” said Morse. “The man’s friends had gotten him the PLB for just this type of situation. The beacon was registered correctly which allowed us to access the situation and act quickly.”
For this mission, the 210th and 212th Rescue Squadrons were awarded with one save.
