CAMP DENALI, Alaska—Airmen with the Alaska Air National Guard’s 210th, 211th, and 212th Rescue Squadrons rescued a pilot and his passenger when his float-plane overturned after making an emergency landing near Tangle Lakes, 19 nautical miles West of Paxon, Alaska, Aug. 12.

The 11^th Air Force Rescue Coordination Center was notified at 12:44 p.m. by satellite of a distress signal from a 406 MHz personal locator beacon that was transmitting near Tangle Lakes.

Within minutes, the RCC was able to contact family members of the PLB owner and confirmed that he was out flying in that area with his wife during the time the distress signal was transmitted.

The RCC tasked the 176^th Wing’s 210^th, 211^th and 212^th Rescue Squadrons with the mission to look for the people with the activated PLB. Shortly after the mission assignment, a 210^th Rescue Squadron HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter with a Guardian Angel pararescue team from the 212^th Rescue Squadron left Eielson Air Force Base en route to the distress signal.

“The forward-positioned rescue crew at Eielson had just assumed their weekly alert posture, so they quickly dropped off their training gear and left for the distress coordinates,” said Senior Master Sgt. Robert Carte, superintendent, 11th Air Force RCC.

The 211^th launched an HC-130 King aircraft from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson that provided overhead communication and weather updates to the Pave Hawk crew flying below them.

The crew onboard the HH-60 made contact with the two victims at 2:44 p.m. and determined they needed transportation to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

“This is a perfect example of the importance of making a plan and letting friends or family know where you are going,” Carte said. “Because this couple let their family know where they were and had a 406 MHz personal locator beacon with them, we were able to dispatch help within minutes of first receiving the distress signal.”

The husband and wife were airlifted to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital at 4 p.m. and treated for minor injuries.

The Alaska Air National Guard’s 210^th, 211^th and 212^th Rescue Squadrons were awarded two saves for this mission.