Maine National Guardsmen train on hoist operations in undated photo.
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MILLINOCKET, Maine – The Maine National Guard rescued and evacuated a 43-year-old female hiker who suffered a broken ankle on Mount Katahdin Sept. 20.
Baxter State Park staff requested aviation assets from the Maine Army National Guard for the rescue at Mount Katahdin, the highest mountain in Maine at 5,269 feet.
Bangor’s Army Aviation Support Facility (AASF) received the request at 4:42 p.m. and assembled a flight crew. A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter departed the AASF at 5:37 p.m. and was on station at 6:44 p.m.
With her party’s help, the patient relocated to an area below the cloud cover, near the intersection of the Helon Taylor and Knife Edge trails, enabling a safe extraction. The patient was cable-hoisted to the aircraft, flown to Millinocket Municipal Airport and transferred to an ambulance.
“Having the ability to request federal resources for rescues in Baxter State Park is crucial to the timely extraction from a high mountain wilderness environment,” said Kevin Adam, director of Baxter State Park.
“We’re glad to have been a part of this success story, working alongside Baxter staff and local first responders,” said Maj. Gen. Douglas Farnham, Maine’s adjutant general. “On top of our federal mission, it’s our privilege to be able to support our neighbors and communities. Our men and women train hard to live up to our motto of ‘Always Ready, Always There.’”
