BOISE, Idaho — Boise Fire and the Idaho National Guard worked together to rescue an injured hiker on Mt. Idaho in what officials say was the state's highest hoist search and rescue mission.
The hiker was stranded on a remote stretch on Mt. Idaho, the state's seventh-highest mountain.
Boise Fire received a mutual aid request from the Idaho National Guard around 1 p.m. July 18 for help with the rescue. The Custer County Sheriff's Office, Custer County Search and Rescue and Air St. Lukes were also involved in the response.
Officials say that the hiker had fallen roughly 300 feet in the Lost River Range and had suffered a head injury.
The high elevation and difficult terrain led to the deployment of the UH-60 Black Hawk, the Idaho Army National Guard said.
“Our pilots and crew members train year-round for complex missions, integrating our community partners to perform technical and difficult search and rescue missions when our fellow citizens need us the most,” said Col. Jim Mandel, Idaho Army National Guard state aviation officer. “I couldn’t be prouder of this crew and the rest of the team with their successful rescue on Saturday."
The Boise Fire Department later shared video of the operation on social media, showing the Idaho National Guard helicopter lowering Boise Fire Captain Ryan Yates onto the mountainside to assist the injured hiker.
Crews worked through challenging terrain and technical flight conditions to safely stabilize and remove the patient from the area.
The hiker was then transported to the base of the mountain before being flown by Air St. Luke's to Idaho Falls for medical treatment.
The Idaho Army National Guard says that Mt. Idaho was its sixth successful rescue in 2026, and its second in July.
Boise Fire and the Idaho Army National Guard train together multiple times a year. Officials say that the Army National Guard's aviation and hoist capabilities, combined with BFD's specialized technical rescue and life support expertise, have saved many lives.
“We work really well together as a team,” said Boise Fire Department Captain Mike Barbero. “Each agency complements each other very well and both agencies trust each other a lot because we’ve worked together.”
