JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – Alaska Air National Guardsmen of the 176th Wing rescued a pregnant woman in distress Dec. 27 at Kipnuk about 100 miles southwest of Bethel.
Alaska Air National Guard Senior Master Sgt. Evan Budd, Alaska Rescue Coordination Center superintendent, said officials of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Regional Hospital requested assistance when a pregnant woman was injured in a snow machine accident.
The 176th Wing launched a 210th Rescue Squadron HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopter and a 211th Rescue Squadron HC-130J Combat King II rescue aircraft. Both aircraft had highly trained pararescue (PJs) Airmen onboard.
The HC-130 was the first aircraft on scene, dropping much-needed medical supplies to local medical professionals to stabilize the patient.
The HH-60 then landed on the scene, disembarking two PJs who spent an hour stabilizing the patient before loading her onboard the Pave Hawk for evacuation to the Bethel Airport and transloaded her to the
HC-130.
The crew of the HC-130 then transported the woman to JBER where she was transloaded to a JBER Fire Emergency Services ambulance. Paramedics of the 673d Civil Engineer Squadron then transported the patient to the Alaska Native Medical Center.
Budd said teamwork between the 176th Wing units and the 673d CES was a critical dimension during the mission.
“The transload was key because the weather was so poor in the passes,” he said. “There were a lot of tough obstacles to overcome, but everyone came together and knocked this one out of the park.”
For the operation, 210th RQS, 211th RQS, 212th RQS and the AKRCC were awarded one save.