BOISE, Idaho - A UH-60 Blackhawk from the Idaho Army National Guard rescued two young boys, who got lost while sledding over the weekend, using a new hoist that was recently installed on the helicopter.
"We had been training on them really hard," Lt. Col. Tim Marsano, the state public affairs officer, told the Idaho Statesman "Situations like what we had today are exactly the reason we have it. We were very gratified to be able to help."
Jezrael Wilson, 14, and Tanner Harris, 15, left their group for a more exciting ride down another slope. After trying unsuccessfully to backtrack, the two boys found shelter and were reached at 2 a.m., by a search and rescue team.
"The problem wasn't locating the kids. We got that done pretty quickly," search and rescue manager George Gunn told the Idaho newspaper. "The problem was evacuating."
The boys were in an area, inaccessible to snowmobiles. So, the Boise County sheriff requested help from the military.
"The hoist gives us the capability to rescue people, who cannot be reached by ground such as during water rescues, cliffs or incapacitation," said Sgt. James Williamson, a hoist trainer from the unit.
The hoist can lower a deployer from as high as 250 feet above the surface and pick up as much as 600 pounds. Higher altitudes are often required with rocky terrain or obstacles such as tall trees.
The Blackhawk unit, Company A of the 1-168 Aviation Battalion, had installed the hoist only six months ago.
"The Idaho Army National Guard is currently the only helicopter organization in the state with a rescue hoist," said Sgt. David Berlinguet, a trainer and deployer on the hoist.