According to Maryland State Police troopers with the MSP Helicopter Trooper 5 rescued a swimmer who was injured Friday in Garrett County.
Shortly after 5 p.m. on Friday, Maryland State Police Helicopter Trooper 5, based at Cumberland Airport, was dispatched to Swallow Falls in the Youghiogheny River to perform an aerial hoist rescue of a victim who sustained a head injury after slipping on a rock. Due to the steep terrain, extended extraction time, and the nature of the victim’s injuries, a Maryland State Police Aviation Command helicopter was requested by SYSCOM through Garret County Fire and Rescue to perform an aerial hoist rescue.
The Trooper 5 helicopter crew launched and once on scene, configured for an aerial hoist rescue while the pilots maneuvered the AW-139 helicopter into a steady 275-foot hover position above the river. Garrett County Fire and Rescue personnel provided patient care during the ground operations and assisted in preparing the patient.
The Trooper/Rescue Technician with medical equipment was lowered down to the scene to assess and prepare the patient for an aerial extraction using a Patient Extrication Platform (PEP) bag. The patient accompanied by the Trooper/Rescue Technician was hoisted up to the helicopter. Once the patient was secured inside the aircraft, Trooper 5 transitioned to its medevac role and provided advanced level medical care while enroute to J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital Morgantown, WV.