BILLINGS, Mont. - A HH60M Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopter from the Montana Army National Guard’s 1-189th General Support Aviation Battalion rescued three hikers from the Princess Lake area of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Aug. 17, safely transporting them to receive medical attention.
After getting a mission request for Guard assistance early on the morning of Aug. 17, the aircraft departed from the Billings Army Limited Aviation Support Facility at 7:50 a.m. The hikers, suffering from hypothermia and illness, were recovered and transported to Columbus to receive further medical care. The helicopter returned to Billings by 9:20 a.m.
The crew onboard the aircraft included Chief Warrant Officer 3 Zach Lundgren and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Cameron Olson, pilots; Sgt. Sydney Stephenson, hoist operator; Sgt. Justin Asher, hoist rider; and Sgt. Patrick Northrup, flight medic. Billings Fire Department Paramedic Rob Gersbach provided additional on-board medical support.
“The entirety of the rescue operation was executed seamlessly due to the dedication and level of expertise of all personnel involved,” Northrup said. “It reflects a tremendous amount of credit and pride to not only the Montana National Guard, but also the flight crews of the 1-189th and Billings Fire Department.”
This rescue marks the fifth search and rescue mission performed by Montana Army National Guard helicopters stationed in Billings this year. Since the facility in Billings began operations in January 2023, rescues have included a hunter stranded on an island in the Yellowstone River in December 2023 and a hiker who had a heart attack and was rescued near Albino Lake in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness in July 2024.