NAVAL AIR STATION WHIDBEY ISLAND, Wash. – A Search and Rescue (SAR) team of five from Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island conducted a rescue mission in the Olympic Mountains, on Friday, May 27, 2016.
The crew launched at 5:10 p.m. in response to a call for an elderly male experiencing severe pelvic pain caused by a dislocated hip. He was located in a remote area of the Olympic Mountains, stuck in a small valley and surrounded by dense foliage. After an hour transit, the crew was able to spot the survivor and establish communications with ground crews. The SAR crew surveyed the area and went into a hover to hoist the SAR Medical Technician (SMT) to the ground. Once he was clear, the helicopter moved away from the scene and landed to conserve fuel. The Helicopter Inland Rescue Aircrewman (HIRA) then departed the helicopter and hiked back to the SMT’s location with a rescue litter.
After conducting an assessment and evaluation of the survivor, inserting an IV, and securing him to the rescue litter, the SMT and HIRA called the crew into position so the SAR Crew Chief could hoist everyone into the helicopter. With everyone onboard, the crew flew directly to a pre-briefed landing spot on Highway 101 where the Sheriff’s department temporarily blocked traffic and an ambulance awaited. The patient and SMT both moved to the ambulance and were transported south to Grays Harbor Community Hospital in Aberdeen, Wash. while the helicopter went to Bowerman Field in Hoquiam, Wash. for fuel.
“These types of injuries can be very dangerous, but are even trickier when the person is in a hard-to-reach location,” said Hospital Corpsman Third Class John Siedler. “Luckily, we train constantly for these types of scenarios and everything went well from start to finish.”
This was the eighth rescue of 2016 for NAS Whidbey Island SAR, which has also conducted five Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) missions this year. In 2015, the unit launched on 19 MEDEVAC missions, 11 searches and seven rescues, resulting in 29 lives delivered to higher level care.
The Navy SAR unit operates three MH-60S helicopters from NAS Whidbey Island as search and rescue platforms for the EA-18G aircraft as well as other squadrons and personnel assigned to the installation. The base also has an agreement to assist Washington State with medical evacuations and search and rescue activities
Crew Chief Naval Air Crewman Helicopter 1st Class (Select) Zachary Del Corte surveys the scene, located 5 miles to the southeast of Lake Quinault, and devises a plan for the recovery of a severely injured patient on May 27, 2016. (U.S. Navy photo by AWS1 Josh Vest)
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