Forestry officials perform river rescue

April 19, 2005

CASEY RESSLER/Frontiersman Valley Life Editor

A daring rescue operation last August by Division of Forestry employees has led to the group being recognized as Real Heroes.

Bud Roberts, Norm McDonald, Chris Andersen, Zack Flemming and Doug Crowl are being recognized by the American Red Cross of Alaska. They saved the lives of a mother and her son after their vehicle was washed into Knik River last August.

Jennifer Buswell was filling her water tank in the back of her pickup in Knik River, while her two sons waited in the truck. Suddenly, the bank collapsed, washing away the truck and the two kids.

By the time Butte Fire and Ambulance personnel arrived, there was no way to reach the woman and her son, who were clinging to a floating portion of the trailer. The truck was submerged. Six state and borough agencies responded to the situation.

The Division of Forestry's Palmer supply facility heard the emergency call and within five minutes dispatched two Forestry helicopters to the scene.

McDonald, one of the firefighters on board the helicopter, said time was running out for Buswell and her son, Ryan, when they arrived at the river.

"We didn't have a lot of options when we got there," McDonald told the Frontiersman last August, after the rescue. "There were medics on the beach, but they had no way to get to the truck. We weighed the risks versus the benefits and decided to act."

Roberts piloted the helicopter and moved into place over the submerged truck, while McDonald reached own and grabbed the boy. They also lifted the mother into the helicopter by hand.

Sadly, one of the boys drowned in the incident.

McDonald said it was not the normal technique for helicopter rescue, but it worked.