JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — Airmen with the Alaska Air National Guard's 210th, 211th and 212th Rescue Squadrons rescued four individuals Monday after their float-plane crashed during takeoff from a body of water near Mirror Lake, south of Iliamna.
According to Staff Sgt. Katie Magnuson, a controller with the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center, the National Park Service contacted the coordination center at approximately 5:35 p.m. to request assistance with an aircraft that had crashed immediately after takeoff.
Seven individuals were reported as having been on the plane, with four reported as having sustained injuries, she said.
The Alaska Air National Guard accepted the mission at 5:40 p.m. and launched an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter from the 210th Rescue Squadron and an HC-130 King aircraft from the 211th Rescue Squadron, each with a team of pararescuemen from the 212th Rescue Squadron on board, out of JBER.
At approximately 8:20 p.m., the rescue crews reached the crash site after having to perform air refueling between the Pave Hawk helicopter and HC-130 while en route.
Once at the location, the rescue personnel assessed the patients, treated as needed, and then loaded them onto the helicopter, which then flew back to Iliamna to trans-load the patients onto the HC-130 to fly them back to Anchorage. The helicopter flew one patient directly to Providence Hospital, and the other three patients were brought back to JBER, where they were released to the Anchorage Fire Department for transport to the hospital.
For this mission, the 210th, 211th and 212th Rescue Squadrons were awarded with four saves.