Rescuer stays with injured hiker 12 hours until helicopter can land, Oregon officials say
.jpg "Weather prevented a helicopter crew from hoisting a hiker who fell 50 feet from Oregon cliff, so a rescuer stayed with her for 12 hours, Coast Guard said.")
A rescuer stayed 12 hours overnight with an injured hiker until a helicopter crew could hoist the hiker to safety, the Coast Guard said.
The 42-year-old hiker plunged 50 feet from an Oregon cliff Monday and was seriously injured, according to a Coast Guard news release.
Oregon Emergency Management requested assistance from the Coast Guard for the rescue about 9 p.m. Within two hours, rescuers launched a helicopter crew with the intention to hoist the hiker to safety.
Weather and a “challenging terrain” prevented the helicopter crew from rescuing the hiker, but a rescue swimmer was sent to evaluate the situation and give the hiker immediate medical care, according to the Coast Guard.
The swimmer stayed with the hiker for 12 hours before the helicopter crew could rescue the hiker.
“The rescue swimmer remained on scene overnight until an Oregon Army National Guard aircrew aboard a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter arrived to complete a hoist evacuation Tuesday at approximately 11:45 a.m,” the Coast Guard said. “The survivor and one other uninjured hiker were transported to awaiting medical personnel in Medford.”