An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Feb. 10, 2012

Alaska Air Guard pararescuemen save young man's life in Red Devil

By Air National Guard Maj. Guy Hayes Alaska National Guard

CAMP DENALI, Alaska - Two Alaska National Guard members parachuted from a HC-130 "King" aircraft to perform a heroic rescue and save a man's life in Red Devil Feb. 1.

Suffering from extreme pain and vomiting following a surgical endoscopy, a 20-year-old male required immediate medical attention according to doctors 200 miles away in Bethel. The doctors conveyed that intravenous therapy was necessary for the patient to survive.

The 11th Air Force Rescue Coordination Center alerted the Alaska Air National Guard's 210th, 211th and 212th Rescue Squadrons at 8:30 p.m. Feb. 1 and crews were airborne before 10 p.m. in a HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter and HC-130 "King" aircraft.

Low cloud cover and unfavorable weather conditions did not allow pilots in the HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter to safely reach Red Devil. After several attempts to navigate through Rainy, Merrill, Lake Clark and Shellabarger passes, pilots were forced to return to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson following a refuel with the HC-130.

"The Pave Hawk had to turnaround after multiple attempts to get through the weather, so the search and rescue duty officer directed us to get through to see if it was viable for us to execute a jump mission from the HC-130," said Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Maddama, a pararescueman with the Alaska Air National Guard's 212th Rescue Squadron.

Circling overhead of Red Devil in the HC-130, pilots wearing night vision goggles were unable to see the ground because of cloud cover. Running out of fuel, they made one final pass over the small town, 250 miles west of Anchorage, to see if they could conduct parachute drops into the Red Devil airfield.

"We kept checking weather," Maddama said. "Finally on the last flyover, we could see lights on the landing strip and were cleared to jump."

Jumping at 3,000-feet and carrying 60-pound packs, the "Guardian Angel" team of Maddama and Tech. Sgt. Dan Warren, a member of the 308th Rescue Squadron, from Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., leapt into 15 degrees below zero temperatures, blowing winds and inclement weather.

"Fortunately, we were communicating with a ground party in Red Devil and they used their snowmachines and ATVs to light the drop zone, providing us a reference to safely land," Maddama said.

After reaching the airfield, Maddama and Warren were greeted by the ground party and hurried to the 20-year-old patient.

"The patient was really sick," Maddama said. "We assessed him and provided medicine for his nausea and vomiting. We also checked his blood pressure which was pretty low, so we gave him fluids to get his blood pressure back up."

The Guardian Angel team contacted the medical staff in Bethel, relaying his deteriorating conditions and symptoms. Believing surgery was required to save his life, it was recommended that the patient be transported to Anchorage for medical care.

"All the aircraft had returned to JBER because of fuel and weather," Maddama said. "We stayed with the patient over the next nine hours until the Search and Rescue Duty Officer could get a HH-60 in there to pull us out."

Spending the night in Red Devil, the Guardian Angel team repeatedly checked the patient's symptoms and vital signs, watching over him until an HH-60 was able to safely get through the weather and land at 11 a.m. Feb. 2.

"He would have gone into septic shock within 48 hours if he wasn't treated," Maddama said. "[Technical] sergeant Warren did a great job as the medic and it took all three squadrons to execute this mission."

The patient was airlifted from Red Devil to the helicopter pad at Alaska Regional Hospital, where he was transported to the Alaska Native Medical Center in stable condition. The 210th, 211th, and 212th Rescue Squadrons were awarded one save for this mission.

 

 

Related Articles
The 111th Electromagnetic Warfare Company conducts training exercise, Operation Golden Corridor in Dahlonega, Georgia, August 15, 2025. Throughout the duration of the exercise, Soldiers simulated peer and near-peer electromagnetic warfare scenarios and enhance unit proficiency in spectrum mapping, RF detection, and alternative radar awareness capabilities under austere conditions.
Georgia Guard Company Leads in Electromagnetic Warfare Modernization
By | Aug. 27, 2025
DAHLONEGA, Ga. - The Georgia Army National Guard’s 111th Electromagnetic Warfare Company, based in Forest Park, Georgia, is rapidly establishing itself as a leader in the Army’s modernization efforts within the...

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion 182nd Infantry Regiment, Massachusetts Army National Guard, and the 1st Battalion 69th Infantry Regiment, New York Army National Guard, participated in the annual Logan-Duffy Shooting Match, August 21, 2025, at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. The history of the Logan Duffy Rifle Match goes back nearly 90 years to the first match, which was held in 1936.
Massachusetts, New York Guard Members Compete in Historic Logan-Duffy Rifle Competition
By Sgt. 1st Class Steven Eaton,   | Aug. 27, 2025
DEVENS, Mass. – Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 182nd Infantry Regiment, Massachusetts Army National Guard, and the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment, New York Army National Guard, participated in the annual Logan-Duffy...

An Alaska Air National Guard HH-60G Pave Hawk assigned to the 210th Rescue Squadron a real-world rescue operation at Point MacKenzie, Alaska, Sept. 1, 2022. After a Christen A-1 Husky crashed into a marsh, National Guardsmen rappelled and conducted a rescue operation, ensuring the aircraft was safely vacated. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Julia Lebens)
Alaska Air Guard Rescues Individual With Facial Laceration Near Knik Glacier
By Alejandro Pena, | Aug. 27, 2025
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — Alaska Air National Guard members with the 176th Wing rescued an individual with a facial laceration Aug. 25, about 40 miles northeast of Anchorage in the vicinity of Knik Glacier.The...