An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | July 10, 2015

Arizona Army Guard helicopter helps rescue father and daughter from mountain

By Spc. Wesley Parrell Arizona National Guard

PHOEINX - An Arizona Army National Guard helicopter crew from Papago Park Military Reservation assisted local first responders Thursday in rescuing two stranded hikers here.

Members of Detachment 1, C Company, 5-159th Air Ambulance responded to the Four Peaks Mountain to assist the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in rescuing a father and daughter who became stranded late Wednesday night.

"We train to conduct missions like this all the time," said Army Sgt. John Simmons, operations sergeant for the 5-159th. "We are capable of conducting medical air support, and stand ready to respond when called upon."

The man's 25-year-old daughter called sheriff's deputies Wednesday after the pair had hiked into a rugged portion of the Four Peaks wilderness, northeast of the Phoenix area. When the father began to experience a medical emergency, a search and rescue medical team was flown in, bringing them blankets and supplies. Due to the terrain, weather conditions and time of day the rescue operations were postponed until Thursday morning.

At 7 a.m. Thursday, the Arizona Army National Guard was contacted to assist with the rescue operation. The location of the stranded hikers and weather conditions made the mountain top extraction challenging.

"There are times when you know that Mother Nature is in control," said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Andrew Smeltzer, UH-60 Black Hawk pilot. "The wind conditions at that altitude made it difficult to reach their location. During this mission, we used the terrain features to help guide us in to the site and maintain stability of the aircraft."

Once on scene, Army Staff Sgt. Antonio Bonillas, a flight medic with the 5-159th, was lowered down to the hikers' location.

"The strong winds caused me to rotate as I was lowered to the ground," said Bonillas. "Once on the ground, I was able to assess the hiker's condition. The mountain rescue team did a great job providing care to the hikers which allowed me to focus on the host operation."

Once aboard the aircraft, the hikers were all smiles and giving thumbs-up to the flight crew, relieved they were off the mountain.

"We train for situations like this all the time," said Army Sgt. Gregory Host. "To have the opportunity to provide support to the citizens of Arizona during a time in need is truly gratifying."

The Arizona Army National Guard (AZARNG) is made up of six brigades with approximately 5,100 Soldiers. The AZARNG continuously provides a trained and ready force capable of performing unified land operations and defense support to civil authorities.

 

 

Related Articles
Maj. Gen. Thomas Friloux, adjutant general of Louisiana, discusses briefing details with Col. Augusto Villalaz, director of the Joint Staff for the Louisiana National Guard, during the annual Hurricane Rehearsal of Concept (ROC) Drill at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, May 21, 2025. The drill helps synchronize plans and strengthen coordination across LANG’s senior leadership ahead of hurricane season.
Louisiana Guard Rehearses Emergency Plans for Hurricane Season
By Capt. Peter Drasutis, | May 28, 2025
NEW ORLEANS – The Louisiana National Guard conducted its annual Hurricane Rehearsal of Concept (ROC) Drill at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Baton Rouge May 21, uniting key personnel across multiple commands to refine...

U.S. Soldiers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 197th Field Artillery Regiment, New Hampshire Army National Guard, sling load a reduced range practice rocket to a Moroccan CH-47 Chinook during a multinational sling load operation at African Lion 2025 (AL25), May 17, 2025, in TanTan, Morocco. AL25, the largest annual military exercise in Africa, brings together over 50 nations, including seven NATO allies and 10,000 troops to conduct realistic, dynamic and collaborative training in an austere environment that intersects multiple geographic and functional combatant commands. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF,) on behalf of the U.S. Africa Command, AL25 takes place from April 14 to May 23, 2025, across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia This large-scale exercise will enhance our ability to work together in complex, multi-domain operations - preparing forces to deploy, fight, and win.
New Hampshire Guard Teams with Morocco for Sling Load Training at African Lion 2025
By Sgt. 1st Class Jessica Forester, | May 28, 2025
TAN TAN, Morocco – Soldiers assigned to the 744th Forward Support Company (744TH FSC), 3rd Battalion, 197th Field Artillery Regiment, New Hampshire Army National Guard partnered with the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (FAR), for...

From left, Sgt. Edward Acda, Lt. Col. Vern Perez, Sgt. 1st Class Celine Taitano, Capt. Ryan Arellano, Staff Sgt. Jovencio Mortera, and Sgt. Avery Tyquiengco of the Guam National Guard participate in Balikatan Cyber Defense Exercise, Manila, April 27, 2025. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the U.S. and Philippine armed forces designed to strengthen the alliance, showcase the capable combined force, and demonstrate the commitment to regional security and stability. (Courtesy asset)
Guam Guard Participates in Balikatan 2025 Cyber Defense Exercise
By Mark Scott, | May 28, 2025
MANILA, Philippines – A team of cyber professionals and an intelligence analyst from the Guam National Guard attended Balikatan 2025, participating in the three-week Cyber Defense Exercise alongside teams from various...