BETHEL, Alaska –
Alaska Army National Guard aviators assigned to the 207th Aviation Battalion, rescued a family of six June 30, near Tuntutuliak on the Kuskokwim River.
The Alaska Rescue Coordination Center opened the mission in response to an Alaska State Troopers request for assistance when the family’s boat became stuck on a sandbar in the river. The AKARNG accepted the mission and launched a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter from the armory in Bethel and flew 25 miles south to search for the stranded people.
High wind and rough water conditions prevented community efforts to reach the individuals utilizing other watercraft. The family had been stranded at the site for nearly 24 hours while traveling to Tuntutuliak and were able to contact the AST with several messages via cell phone before their phones died at around noon on Monday.
AKARNG Chief Warrant Officer 3s Bryan Kruse, Colten Bell and Nick Lime, alongside AST Trooper Trevor Norris, assigned to C Detachment in Bethel, conducted the rescue under the harsh storm conditions that included heavy rain, fog and wind gusts of 45 miles per hour.
After 30 minutes of searching for their location, the team located five adults and one child on the river and executed a low hover to bring them to safety. Upon descent, Lime and Norris exited the aircraft and waded through nearly four feet of water to assist the distressed people. Lime said he had to lift the most elderly woman up into the aircraft who could barely move or communicate due to length of exposure in the elements.
“We could tell that the group hadn’t anticipated being stranded for that amount of time with the clothes and gear they were wearing,” Lime said. “We were able to get to them out of there at an ideal time.”
The crew rendered in-flight rewarming care to the patients, who were close to hypothermic, with blankets and flew them to the Bethel Armory. Twelve volunteers from the Bethel Fire Department with three ambulances were waiting to receive the patients and transport them to Yukon-Kuskokwim Regional Hospital.
Kruse, the pilot in command said he appreciated the expedient coordination with the volunteers from the BFD and praised local air traffic controllers for the mission’s success.
“This effort really reinforces the relationships that we have with our local community here,” Kruse said. “The controllers did a great job at clearing the air space for us on the way back, so we could get these patients back safely.”
The mission showcases the dynamic decision-making processes and capabilities of AKARNG aviation crews when they’re tasked with rescue missions in austere environments.
The Alaska Army National Guard frequently supports emergency response operations across the state in partnership with the Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Rescue Coordination Center and local agencies.
The Bethel-based Black Hawk crew is not a designated rescue asset equipped with hoist- capable equipment or paramedic teams. Despite that, the crew plays a crucial role in supplementing traditional emergency services that are often not available in Western Alaska, a region where no roads connect these rural communities.
“We’re extremely proud of our execution during missions like this,” Kruse said. “With all the capabilities we have at our disposal, it could not have gone better. We do the best with what we’ve got.”