EAGLE RIVER, Alaska—The Alaska Air National Guard located a missing five-year-old boy on Mount Baldy Monday evening and successfully reunited him with his family.

Alaska State Troopers called the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center shortly before 4 p.m. to request assistance in locating the missing child. The RCC asked for the assets of the Alaska Air National Guard’s 176^th Wing, which responded with an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter from the 210^th Rescue Squadron with a Guardian Angel team from the 212^th Rescue Squadron on board.

“The weather was good and our day crews were readily available here on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson,” said Senior Master Sgt. Robert Carte, superintendent of the RCC. “Our crews were able to get coordinates from the mother of the missing boy from her cell phone, and within minutes of arriving on scene, our crews located the boy from the air. He was less than a quarter mile from the search party.”

According to the RCC, the Alaska Air National Guard HH-60 crews often train in the area and know Mount Baldy and the terrain very well. The Pave Hawk helicopter landed, and the Guardian Angel team was able to guide the boy back to trailhead and release him to Alaska State Troopers.

“This is a great example of your Citizen Airmen working in coordination with other agencies to quickly come to the aid of Alaskans,” Carte said. “The Alaska Air National Guard is always ready to help and stands ready to respond.”  

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