A Search and Rescue team from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station were called early morning July 17 to get two injured loggers out of Hamilton, Wash., one with leg injuries and the other with a broken arm and possible broken ribs.
A Navy corpsman and Helicopter Inland Rescue Aircrewman on the MH-60S Knighthawk rappelled down to the loggers, but fog rolled in, delaying their immediate rescue.
The remaining Navy crewmembers flew the helicopter back to the air station to refuel and returned within 45 minutes. Once back on station, the clouds had lifted enough to a level where the rescue could be safely executed. The two injured men were hoisted aboard as well as the two Navy aircrew, who provided emergency medical treatment.
SAR then landed at a nearby clearing to transfer the more severely injured logger to an Airlift Northwest helicopter, while the Navy rescuers took the other logger to Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount Vernon, Wash.
NAS Whidbey Island SAR has now launched on 10 search and rescue missions and three medical evacuations this year, resulting in 17 lives saved.
The Navy SAR unit is specifically based here for search and rescue missions for the EA-6B and EA-18G aircraft as well as other squadrons and personnel assigned to the installation.
The base also has an agreement to assist Washington state with medical evacuations and search and rescue activities.