Idaho Army National Guard conducts remote search and rescue mission
The Idaho Army National Guard assisted with a search and rescue mission Wednesday near New Meadows, marking the second time in as many months the Guard has supported Meadows Valley Fire and EMS in a remote part of the state.
Yesterday afternoon, an HH-60 Black Hawk crew hoisted a 46-year-old female patient who had suffered a broken ankle near Goose Creek Trail, southwest of Brundage Ski Resort, and transported her to the McCall Airport. McCall Fire then transported her to St. Luke’s McCall Medical Center for further treatment. Nearby Riggins Emergency Medical Services also assisted Meadows Valley Fire and EMS with the rescue.
“That’s a very remote area and there’s no way to get any kind of vehicle in there, even a dirt bike,” said Meadows Valley Fire and EMS Chief Doug Buys. “With the extent of her injuries, we decided, if possible, we were going to try to airlift her out of there.”
Buys said the last time someone had to be rescued near the same spot that it took seven to eight hours due to the complex terrain.
The Idaho Army National Guard previously assisted the agency in September with another remote rescue mission near Council Mountain involving a hunter who had punctured his calf after an arrow had fallen out of his quiver.
“We very much appreciate the Idaho Army National Guard helping us twice now,” Buys said. “It’s best for the patient. It definitely helps rural Idaho as it grows to help protect the recreationists who come out here. Without the help of the Idaho National Guard, I’m not sure what we would have done yesterday or last month.”
New Meadows has a population of less than 1,000 people and is located in Adams County, which has a population of nearly 5,000 residents. The town is about 120 miles north of Boise and 12 miles from the resort town of McCall.
The Idaho Army National Guard’s HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters provide search-and-rescue agencies throughout Idaho with a unique capability. The aircraft are equipped with powerful engines that allow crews to operate at high elevations and are equipped with hoists capable of rescuing people from rugged and inaccessible terrain. The Idaho Army National Guard operates the only helicopters in Idaho with this hoist capability.
The Idaho Army National Guard has completed 17 successful search and rescue missions this year, including four in October.
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