YAVAPAI COUNTY, Ariz. – An Arizona National Guard helicopter crew from the 2-285th Assault Helicopter Battalion rescued an injured hiker from treacherous terrain in Yavapai County in the pre-dawn hours of Jan. 2.
Within hours, an air crew was assembled, consisting of Chief Warrant Officer 5 Christopher Hammond, pilot; Lt. Col. Shannon Lancaster, co-pilot; and Staff Sgt. Tyler Mowbray and Karl Evans, crew chiefs.
The hoist rescue was initiated after worsening weather conditions made it impossible for the local ground search and rescue team to safely extract the hiker, who had a serious leg injury. The request for a UH-60 Black Hawk and its specialized crew was made through the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs.
The primary challenge during the operation was the inclement weather.
"We’re doing a constant update of our entire risk assessment,” Hammond explained. “The weather is really the one variable that we have no control over and it’s constantly changing.”
With the Black Hawk hovering in a pocket between clouds, Mowbray operated the hoist, lowering Evans to the ground. Evans assessed the hiker's condition and coordinated with the ground search and rescue team for the extraction.
Because of the weather, the helicopter had to remain on station, a decision that required precise flying and crew coordination.
"While we were down in there, the clouds continued to move with the light wind, and it ended up closing the hole above us,” Hammond said.
Despite the challenging conditions, the crew's training ensured a successful and safe extraction. One by one, the search and rescue team and the injured hiker were hoisted into the helicopter.
Both Evans and Mowbray serve as primary hoist operation instructors at the Army Aviation Support Facility, or AASF.
“We do this probably three to four times a month,” Mowbray said. “It was just putting our training to a real-life mission.”
The Arizona National Guard possesses unique capabilities to support local agencies when their resources are exhausted. This mission showcased effective collaboration between military and civilian agencies.
“This mission allows the National Guard interface within Emergency Management and civilian agencies to all work together in the real world and come back with lessons learned from that real world, while also helping someone actually in need at the time,” Hammond explained.
The successful rescue operation is a direct reflection of the Arizona National Guard’s dual-mission purpose. It demonstrates how the 2-285th leverages advanced combat skills to support civil authorities and protect the homeland. Through this rapid and effective response, the battalion upholds the National Guard commitment to be “always ready, always there” to answer the call at home or abroad.