BETHEL, Alaska — Alaska Army National Guard aviators assigned to the 207th Aviation Battalion rescued a family of six June 30 near Tuntutuliak on the Kuskokwim River.
The Alaska Rescue Coordination Center opened the mission in response to a request from Alaska State Troopers for assistance when the family’s boat became stuck on a sandbar in the river. The Alaska Army National Guard accepted the mission and launched a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter from the armory in Bethel. Guard members flew 25 miles south to search for the stranded people.
High wind and rough water conditions prevented community efforts to reach the individuals with other watercraft. The family had been stranded at the site for nearly 24 hours while traveling to Tuntutuliak. They contacted Alaska State Troopers with several messages via cell phone before their phones died around noon June 30.
Alaska Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 3s Bryan Kruse, Colten Bell and Nick Lime, alongside Alaska State Trooper Trevor Norris, assigned to C Detachment in Bethel, conducted the rescue under the harsh storm conditions that included heavy rain, fog and wind gusts of 45 miles per hour.
After 30 minutes of searching for their location, the team located five adults and one child on the river and executed a low hover to bring them to safety. Upon descent, Lime and Norris exited the aircraft and waded through nearly four feet of water to assist the distressed people.
Lime said he had to lift the most elderly woman into the aircraft. She could barely move or communicate because of the length of exposure to the elements, he said.
“We could tell that the group hadn’t anticipated being stranded for that amount of time with the clothes and gear they were wearing,” Lime said. “We were able to get to them out of there at an ideal time.”
The crew rendered in-flight rewarming care to the patients, who were close to hypothermic, with blankets and flew them to the Bethel Armory. Twelve volunteers from the Bethel Fire Department and three ambulances were waiting to receive the patients and transport them to Yukon-Kuskokwim Regional Hospital.
Kruse, the pilot in command, said he appreciated the expedient coordination with the volunteers from the Bethel Fire Department and praised local air traffic controllers for the mission’s success.
“This effort really reinforces the relationships that we have with our local community here,” Kruse said. “The controllers did a great job at clearing the air space for us on the way back, so we could get these patients back safely.”
The mission showcases the dynamic decision-making processes and capabilities of the Alaska Army National Guard aviation crews when tasked with rescue missions in austere environments.
The Alaska Army National Guard frequently supports emergency response operations across the state in partnership with the Alaska State Troopers, the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center and local agencies.
The Bethel-based Black Hawk crew is not a designated rescue asset equipped with hoist-capable equipment or paramedic teams. Despite this, the crew plays a crucial role in supplementing traditional emergency services, which are often unavailable in Western Alaska, a region with no roads connecting these rural communities.
“We’re extremely proud of our execution during missions like this,” Kruse said. “With all the capabilities we have at our disposal, it could not have gone better. We do the best with what we’ve got.”