CAMP DENALI, Alaska - The Alaska Air National Guard, using a HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter, successfully found two skiers involved in an avalanche 35 miles southeast of Anchorage and brought them to safety March 17.
According to Megan Peters, Alaska State Troopers Public Information Officer, at about 8:00 p.m. March 16 an avalanche hit a group of three skiers in the Turnagain Pass area.
The avalanche initially buried a 20-year-old male from New York, but as it moved down the mountain he resurfaced with a broken leg. His brother, a 28-year-old male from Anchorage, decided to stay with him as the third skier, a 23-year-old male from Girdwood, skied out for help.
The third skier made his way to his vehicle and called the Alaska State Troopers from his cell phone at approximately 10:20 p.m.
At 10:30 p.m. the 11th Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) received a request for assistance from the Alaska State Troopers in rescuing the two brothers, because a ground party could not be sent to their location due to adverse weather conditions.
The RCC immediately alerted the Alaska Air National Guard's 210th and 212th Rescue Squadrons. After collecting more information and developing a rescue plan they accepted the mission and launched a HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter with a six-person crew at 12:50 a.m. March 17.
During this time the two brothers attempted to ski out to the road after placing a splint on the broken leg. However, with dropping temperatures they did not get very far.
"Once alerted, the Guardsmen provided speedy recovery in unstable conditions," said Air Force Master Sgt. Kenneth Bellamy, 11th Air Force Rescue Coordination Center controller. "Without the joint efforts of the Alaska State Troopers and the Alaska Air National Guard the state of the two brothers could have been something more life threatening."
Guardsmen from the 210th and 212th Rescue Squadrons arrived on scene at 1:08 a.m. After locating the skiers they promptly loaded them on the HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter and transported them to the Providence Hospital for medical treatment. The 20-year-old male was later diagnosed with a broken ankle.
"The Alaskan community is a very tight-knit group and we all depend on this relationship to work together to quickly resolve situations," Peters said, referring to the collaboration between the Alaska State Troopers and the Air National Guard to locate the stranded skiers.
The Alaska Air National Guard's 210th and 212th Rescue Squadrons were awarded two saves for this mission.