CUSTER COUNTY, Idaho — A helicopter crew with the Idaho Army National Guard helped rescue two stranded hikers from a mountainside near Stanley in Custer County last week.
The crew hoisted the hikers from an elevation of about 9,000 feet on Oct. 9, according to the National Guard. Ground search teams were unable to reach the two hikers, who had run out of food and water and were "too exhausted to walk out."
The National Guard said Custer County Search and Rescue requested a helicopter capable of conducting hoist operations through the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. The Idaho Army National Guard’s Army Aviation Support Facility in Boise accepted the mission.
The crew located the hikers within minutes of arriving at the scene. Both were hoisted into the helicopter and transported to Stanley Airport, where an ambulance and members of the Custer County Sheriff’s Department met them.
“We’re very lucky to be able to execute these missions in support of both our interagency partners and our community overall,” Capt. Kate Smith, the pilot in command of the rescue, said. “Many of us joined the organization to help people, and this allows us to leverage our military skill set to do just that.”
The National Guard said the operation was the first live search-and-rescue mission together for Chief Warrant Officer 2 Logan Lusk, Staff Sgt. Justin Rhodes and Boise Fire Department Senior Firefighter Kevin O’Donnell.
“We train for years not knowing if or when we’ll be needed, but Friday was the day for our team,” Smith said. “They did an excellent job.”
The rescue team also included Staff Sgt. Brad Stock.
