Alaska Air National Guard rescues 3 hikers in Eagle River

An Alaska Air National Guard HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter, assigned to the 210th Rescue Squadron, takes off from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, July 23, 2015. The 210th Rescue Squadron provides emergency rescue services for the citizens of Alaska in addition to training for wartime combat search-and-rescue missions.

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An Alaska Air National Guard HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter, assigned to the 210th Rescue Squadron, takes off from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, July 23, 2015. The 210th Rescue Squadron provides emergency rescue services for the citizens of Alaska in addition to training for wartime combat search-and-rescue missions.

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – The Alaska Air National Guard’s 210th and 212th Rescue Squadrons rescued three distressed hikers in Eagle River June 10.

At approximately 9:30 p.m., the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center was contacted by Alaska State Troopers to help rescue hikers who had become stranded on a cliff in Eagle River valley.

“They had basically put themselves onto a cliff in which they could not get out of,” said Senior Master Sgt. Evan Budd, superintendent of the AK RCC. “The third person had fallen off the cliff and was no longer with the rest of the party.”

The hikers were less than 2 miles into the valley, east of Eagle River Nature Center, and about 2,500 feet up the mountainside, not on an established trail.

The hikers sent out a request for help via an Inreach personal locator beacon, which is a two-way emergency communication device. This was transmitted to the AST.

“We were told that the third hiker had possible injuries,” said Budd.

After receiving the request for assistance from the Alaska State Troopers, the AK RCC requested three pararescuemen (PJs) and an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter for the mission.

“We flew to the area of the coordinates that we received for their location and spotted two hikers,” said Lt. Col. Jeremy Groat, 210th RQS commander and pilot for the mission. “We hoisted the PJs in to assist the hikers and then hoisted them all out.”

They searched overhead throughout the area and were unable to locate the third hiker, who was assumed to have potential injuries.

“We also searched the area in the direct vicinity of the nature center and identified an individual wearing clothes and a backpack that matched that of the other hiker,” said Groat. “We landed the helicopter to confirm it was the hiker and check for injuries, and then transported all three hikers to JBER.”

The uninjured hikers were released to the Anchorage Police Department around midnight. Rescued individuals are required to be released to either medical or law enforcement professionals.

“There is something to be said here about hikers pursuing activities within their abilities and knowing the terrain of where they’re going,” said Budd. “Basically, staying safe and not putting yourself in unsafe situations.”

Budd also said it was very helpful that the hikers were prepared with a personal locator beacon.

The 210th RQS, 212th RQS and AK RCC were awarded three saves for this mission.

Alaska Air National Guard

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