Sheriff’s Air Rescue: Everyday Heroes

On Monday, September 6, 2010, Sheriff’s Aviation was dispatched to Sugar Loaf Peak at Mount Baldy to evaluate the area where two lost hikers were located. The terrain was extremely steep and rocky. The crew had one of two options; to hoist the victims to safety or hover the helicopter beside them and have them step in (hover step).

The victims were found by the desert patrol helicopter (40King1) the night prior. The victims were in a rugged drainage/slide area on the north side of Sugar Loaf Peak just east of Mt. Baldy Road at the 5000’ level. The patrol crew (Walters and Anderson) located them using night vision goggles and guided ground searchers in prior to leaving the area. The searchers stayed with the two all night.

Air Rescue 305 (piloted by Cpl. A. Daniel, Crew Chief, Sgt. M. Dattilo and Medic Crew Chief, Dep. D. Carney) flew to the area to possibly hoist the two victims to safety. The crew found that 2 teams of ground searchers had made it to their location. All had been searching the harsh terrain all night as well, making it a total of 12 people that needed to get off the mountain. The hover step would be the safest option off the mountain. Because Daniel would have to maintain a hover in a narrow drainage area, Dattilo hoisted Carney to the ground to clear the main rotors from the large trees and bushes in the hover step area.

With Carney on the ground, Dattilo was able to safely guide Daniel into position approximately 8″ above a large boulder. Carney guided them to the skid of the helicopter as Dattilo pulled them in. A total of three trips into the canyon were made to get all 12 people to safety.

Sheriff’s Air Rescue is staffed with Doctors, Nurses, Paramedics, and EMT’s who volunteer their time to staff the helicopter seven days a week. Because of what they do for the community, Air rescue provides these medical services at no cost to the victim or their families.

Cactus Thorns has been online in one form or the other since 2001. What started as a personal blog documenting the corruption and lack of Due Process of the 29 Palms Community Development Department has turned into over these many years into a hugely popular Independent Alternative News Media Outlet. We have partnered with other media including The Desert Star Weekly, Joshua Tree Star, other blogs, indie media and an incredible staff of volunteer Reporters, Commentators and Opinion Makers to create one of the most read, honest and dependable alternative to the Local traditional Media services in the country. Thanks to you the reader we are in the 5% of most read sites in the World.

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