Md. State Police Use Helicopter to Rescue Injured Rock Climber in W.Va.
By Matt Hubbard
Source Baltimore Sun
What to know
- The Maryland State Police's Aviation Command rescued an injured rock climber in remote terrain at Seneca Rocks in West Virginia.
- Because of the difficult access and severity of the climber's injury, the state police helicopter deployed a rescue technician using a patient-extrication platform.
- The rock climber was airlifted and taken to the hospital for treatment.
The Maryland State Police Aviation Command rescued an injured rock climber from a remote area of West Virginia on Saturday.
According to police Sunday, rescue personnel in Pendleton County, West Virginia, were dispatched to a remote area of Seneca Rocks for the report of an injured person who fell during rock climbing around 2:20 p.m. Saturday.
Circumstances surrounding the victim’s location, extended extrication time and the nature of the injuries resulted in a request for Maryland State Police Aviation Command to perform an aerial hoist rescue, police said.
Trooper 5, a Maryland State Police helicopter based in Cumberland, was dispatched, while local rescue and emergency medical service personnel provided care to the victim, according to police.
Police said that upon arrival, Trooper 5 hovered over steep terrain and a clearing in the trees while a rescue technician was lowered from the aircraft to rescue the victim using a patient-extrication platform device.
The victim was successfully hoisted into the helicopter and taken to the J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia, for further assessment and treatment. State police said they do not provide victim medical conditions.
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