HELENA, Mont. — The Montana Army National Guard recently completed a high-altitude search and rescue mission to recover a missing 71-year-old hiker in the Stillwater Plateau region of the Beartooth Mountains.
The operation showcased seamless coordination between state and federal agencies.
The hiker was last seen Aug. 21 by a hiking partner and failed to return to camp. On Aug. 24, a Montana Army National Guard aviation crew from the Limited Army Aviation Support Facility in Billings launched to assist the Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office and Search and Rescue Incident Command.
The crew established a search grid and conducted aerial reconnaissance in conjunction with local helicopter and ground assets. Despite extensive efforts, the individual was not located that day.
On Aug. 25, the hiker was spotted by a helicopter from the 40th Helicopter Squadron based at Malmstrom Air Force Base. While the 40th Helicopter Squadron provided medical support, the squadron members were unable to perform a hoist extraction because of altitude constraints. An Air Force flight surgeon remained with the hiker on-site and monitored his condition overnight.
On Aug. 26, the Montana Army National Guard responded with a hoist-capable crew from the Helena Army Aviation Support Facility, successfully recovering both the patient and attending doctor and transporting them to Columbus for medical care.
“We got the call that we were needed on Tuesday morning and were able to respond within a few hours,” said Staff Sgt. Anthony Wright, a UH-60 crew chief who was on the flight. “We have a robust training program developed by our full-time staff to create scenarios like this, so when we react to what should be a high-stress scenario, we are able to perform the mission as if it were routine, take care of the patient and safely return to base.”
This marks the second major helicopter rescue by the Montana Army National Guard in the Beartooth region in August. Just days earlier, on Aug. 17, an HH60M Black Hawk from the 1-189th General Support Aviation Battalion rescued three hikers suffering from hypothermia and illness near Princess Lake in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. That mission also involved coordination with Billings Fire Department paramedics, demonstrating the Guard’s rapid response capabilities.
“These missions reflect the Montana National Guard’s unwavering commitment to public safety and its ability to operate in some of the state’s most challenging terrain,” said Maj. Dustin Horswill, commander of the Billings Limited Army Aviation Support Facility. “The professionalism and teamwork displayed across agencies, from Stillwater and Yellowstone counties to Malmstrom AFB [Air Force Base], were nothing short of exemplary.”
The Montana Army National Guard continues to stand ready to support emergency operations across the state, with five helicopter rescues already conducted this year from its Billings facility.