NAS Whidbey Conducts Two Mountain Rescues

— from NAS Whidbey —

A Search and Rescue (SAR) team from Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island conducted two rescues this past weekend, one on Friday night, June 23 and another on Sunday, June 25, 2017. The first rescue was on Mount Baker, the other on Mt. Ellinor located near Staircase Ranger Station in the Olympic National Forest.

Friday night, a skier broke his leg while skiing on the northwest side of Mt. Baker. When local rescue agencies were unable to extract the 45-year-old man they contacted NAS Whidbey Island’s SAR unit through the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) for assistance. Rescue personnel on the ground assisted the SAR crew in locating the injured person using the bright white headlamps they were wearing. The crew airlifted the injured man to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

The second rescue of the weekend occurred on Sunday afternoon. The AFRCC contacted NAS Whidbey Island about two seriously injured hikers on Mt. Ellinor, one of whom had a broken shoulder, leg and possible head injuries; the other had dislocated her shoulder. After locating the two approximately 1,000 ft. below the 5,400 ft. high ridgeline, the SAR crew airlifted the two hikers to Sanderson Field in Shelton. The injured hikers were then transferred to Mason County General Hospital. The extreme slope and technical nature of the terrain was too challenging for the hikers to make it out on their own. The tremendous teamwork by the crew ensured a successful rescue.

These were the fifteenth and sixteenth rescues of 2017 for NAS Whidbey Island SAR, which has also conducted four searches and 14 Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) missions this year.

The Navy SAR unit operates three MH-60S helicopters from NAS Whidbey Island as search and rescue/medical evacuation (SAR/MEDEVAC) platforms for the EA-18G aircraft as well as other squadrons and personnel assigned to the installation. Pursuant to the National SAR Plan of the United States, the unit may also be used for civil SAR/MEDEVAC needs to the fullest extent practicable on a non-interference basis with primary military duties according to applicable national directives, plans, guidelines and agreements; specifically, the unit may launch in response to a tasking by the AFRCC for inland missions, and/or tasking by the United States Coast Guard for all other aeronautical and maritime regions, when other assets are unavailable.