KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, NM. -- On Aug. 2, members of the 58th Special Operations Wing (SOW) from Kirtland Air Force Base conducted a high-altitude rescue near Lake Catherine and Santa Fe Baldy, showcasing precision, coordination and readiness.
The call for assistance came in at approximately 9:30 p.m., reporting three teenage hikers in distress, one of whom was repeatedly losing consciousness. With the 58 SOW's unique capability for conducting rescue missions in harsh environments, the 512th Rescue Squadron (RQS) accepted the mission and quickly mobilized. Two pararescuemen(PJ) from the 351st Special Warfare Training Squadron (SWTS) joined the effort to provide medical aid and ground support.
The 512th RQS began preparing their helicopters and crew for flight. At the same time, the 351st SWTS members were getting their gear ready and estimating what they would need based on the initial assessments that came in with the call for support.
Due to the extreme altitude and need for system redundancy, two aircraft were deployed to ensure the successful rescue of the hikers. By 11 p.m., both HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters launched from Kirtland, navigating around thunderstorms en route to the hikers’ location, roughly 60 miles away.
The hikers were located at an elevation of about 11,300 feet in steep and rugged terrain with winds that restricted the crew’s ability to land or hover overhead. The crew located a safe landing zone and the aircraft landed roughly half a mile from the hikers. Even though it was a half mile in a straight line, the trip ended up being nearly two miles and 1,200 feet of elevation gain that included clearing through brush and climbing over boulders that resulted in a two hour journey.
While the PJs moved on foot, the helicopters maintained position overhead, providing illumination, communication support, and continuous monitoring of the situation. Aircrews also managed fuel levels with precision, balancing the need for endurance with the capacity to carry additional weight on the return flight.
Upon reaching the hikers, the PJs found one of them suffering from syncope and chest pain while the other two were showing symptoms of dehydration. They administered initial medical aid and began planning the trip back to the landing zone with the local search and rescue that had arrived. The team was able to find a path back that was clearer and resulted in a quicker hike that the injured hiker was able to accomplish with assistance. Once all three hikers were safely aboard, the helicopters transported everyone to Santa Fe Airport, where an ambulance was waiting to take the hiker to a local hospital.
After delivering the hikers to safety, the aircraft and crew returned to Kirtland, landing at approximately 5:30 a.m.
This mission is a testament to the skill, adaptability, and training of our Airmen. The teamwork between aircrew, pararescuemen, maintenance, and the New Mexico SAR team, combined with the readiness to operate in challenging environments, ensured that lives were saved that night!