October 9th, 2022 by WCBC Radio

Troopers from the Maryland State Police Aviation Command (MSPAC) performed an aerial hoist rescue on an injured hunter who fell from a tree stand in Ellicott City.

     Shortly after 8:00 a.m. on Friday October 7^th, units from Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services (HCDFRS) requested Maryland State Police – Aviation Command to medevac an injured hunter who had fallen between 20 and 30 feet from a tree stand in a heavily wooded and remote area of the Cascade Falls Trail in Ellicott City.  The hunter was in severe pain with several rib fractures and a possible pelvic fracture. 

     The aviation crew from Washington Section, Trooper 2, based out of Joint Base Andrews Air Force Base, configured the helicopter for an aerial hoist rescue and responded to the scene. While enroute, it was determined that an ATV would not be able to reach the patient. Due to the extended distance and extrication coupled with the patient’s significant injuries, it was requested that Trooper 2 hoist the patient out of the wooded area and transport the patient.

    As the pilots located the extrication site in the wooded area, the pilots maneuvered the Augusta AW-139 helicopter into a steady 150-foot hover.  A state trooper/flight paramedic was deployed from the helicopter to the wooded area where the injured hiker was located.  The trooper flight paramedic performed an assessment and used a PEP bag to package the patient with the assistance of HCDFRS personnel. The patient was hoisted into the helicopter where Trooper 2 transitioned to a medevac and flew the patient to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.

     The Maryland State Police Aviation Command staffs each helicopter with two pilots and two state trooper/medical clinicians. The MSPAC has served Maryland citizens since 1970 and operates a fleet of 10 AW139 helicopters from seven bases throughout the State. Each aircraft provides coverage 24/7/365 to Maryland residents and visitors. The MSPAC missions include medevac, law enforcement, search and rescue, homeland security, and disaster assessment. The success of the aerial rescues and all missions performed by the Aviation Command depends a great deal on monthly, quarterly, and annual proficiency training and is a cooperative effort with allied agencies and our partners at the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Park Police.