Alaska Army National Guard conducts two rescues in Hatcher Pass

WASILLA — The Alaska Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 207th Aviation Regiment recently conducted two separate rescues with a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter in Hatcher Pass.

According to a recent press release, the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center received support requests from the Alaska State Troopers concerning an injured skier and an injured snowmachine rider at a different location Saturday, March 12.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 J.D. Miller, the pilot in command, indicated that the skier being equipped for emergencies and a two-way GPS communication device greatly aided the rescue.

“The skier saw the situation very realistically and reacted responsibly,” Miller stated in the press release. “They went out with a communication device and were prepared to stay overnight. Once they saw the weather turn they took shelter.”

The rescue crew reached the skier’s location at the Southern Holden Hut in Hatcher Pass and transported them to the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center.

AKRCC accepted the support request from the AST in rescuing a severely injured snowmachine rider in Hatcher Pass about two hours after the first rescue.

The conditions required a ski-equipped aircraft for both rescues.

“For this rescue, we knew very early on that ground recovery would not be possible,” AKRCC senior controller, Master Sgt. David Alborne stated in the press release. “A park ranger with the snowmachiners had already determined that the terrain was too technical and the person’s injuries too serious.”

The group of snowmachine riders were able to send photos of the location and the physical condition of the injured individual since they were still within cell service, helping the rescue crew formulate a more precise plan.

The park ranger and the two uninjured snowmachine riders made a trail of packed snow, leveling out a path to transfer the patient to the landing zone. The injured was stabilized and transported to the Providence Alaska Medical Center.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com