State Police Helicopter Conducts Rescue in Montgomery County

An AW-139 helicopter | Maryland State Police website

A Maryland State Police helicopter crew helped rescue an injured hiker Monday who had fallen down the side of a cliff in Montgomery County, state police said.

About 3 p.m., state police Trooper 3, the helicopter based in Frederick, was dispatched to Sugarloaf Mountain.

The pilots maneuvered the AW-139 helicopter into position 80 feet above a small rock outcropping at an elevation of 1,200 feet. A trooper was lowered to the scene to assess the patient and coordinate extrication with arriving ground providers. The patient was stabilized and packaged with the assistance of emergency personnel who had hiked into the rugged terrain to gain access to the patient.

Because of the austere and remote location, an aerial extraction was required. The trooper accompanied the injured hiker back up to the aircraft, at which time the patient was transported to Meritus Medical Center in Washington County while receiving advanced medical care from Trooper 3’s crew.

The successful outcome of this challenging mission highlights the multi-mission capability of the Maryland State Police Aviation Command. A fleet of 10 AW-139 helicopters based out of seven sections across the state provide round-the-clock care to citizens who visit and live within Maryland.

This mission is a testament to the recent training conducted in aerial rescue operations as a joint effort with the Maryland State Police Aviation Command and Frederick County Advanced Technical Rescue Team. The flight crew was assisted by the Hyattstown Volunteer Fire Department, Carroll Manor Fire Department, Urbana Fire Department, Upper Montgomery County Fire Department, and the Frederick County Advanced Technical Rescue Team based out of Independent Hose Company.

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