JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - Alaska Air National Guard rescue Airmen of the 176th Wing rescued an injured paraglider March 8 at Hatcher Pass.
The Alaska State Troopers requested assistance through the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center, which passed the request to the 176th Wing. The wing search and rescue duty officer ordered the launch of a 210th Rescue Squadron HH-60G Pave Hawk with two 212th Rescue Squadron pararescuemen (PJs) on board.
The 176th Wing rescue Airmen are on alert 24/7/365 for Alaska NORAD Region coverage. Alaska Air National Guard Maj. Jacob Ring, 210th RQS HH-60 pilot, said the helicopter launched quickly when the PJs arrived with blood product from the JBER hospital.
“We took off and went direct, more or less making a straight line through Wasilla through some pretty busy airspace,” Ring said. “We climbed up over the top over the valley and started searching at the coordinates we were given.”
After quickly realizing they were searching in the wrong area, the helicopter crew asked AKRCC for new coordinates, which were approximately 1.7 miles north of their position.
“Once we got to the north side of the valley, it was pretty apparent where the paraglider was once we got within half a mile of them,” Ring said. “We did a quick wind assessment as winds were a bit light and variable. We did a hoist infil[tration] for a traverse offset from the [isolated person], so we wouldn’t hit the injured patient with our rotor wash.”
Alaska Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Christopher Krebs, 212th RQS PJ, described the rescue.
“It’s a hoist we do all the time on medium-angle terrain in the snow level with the patient,” he said. “It takes a while to package in that environment because of the nature of the terrain and snow, and the patient’s injuries. The helicopter offset and found a place to land within line-of-sight radio communication, which saves fuel. After packaging, we called them back for a pretty standard hoist exfil.”
The crew flew the patient to the Providence Alaska Medical Center helipad, where he was transferred to medical officials.
The AKRCC urges anyone going into the Alaska outdoors to carry a two-way satellite communication device with an SOS feature because cell coverage is spotty beyond cities and towns.
Ring said the placement of the Rescue Triad of 210th, 211th (HC-130J Combat King II), and 212th Rescue Squadrons at JBER with their federal mission provides a critical rescue capability to the state.
“Due to our federally resourced alert posture and the combat search and rescue capabilities of the Triad, we are positioned to conduct complex civil search and rescue operations throughout Alaska,” he said. “It is incredibly rewarding to be able to serve our local community, and it also provides real-world scenarios that make us better at our tactical mission set as well.”