On Monday afternoon, September 30th, the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay received a report of a hiker who had fallen off a bridge and into a creek approximately 18 miles east of Brookings, Oregon.
After receiving the report, an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew from Sector Humboldt Bay was dispatched to conduct the medevac.
Upon arrival, the crew located the 74 year old hiker in the creek and conducted three 200’ hoists in steep rocky terrain after lowering an aircrew member 400’ above the patient due to winds, who then scrambled down the rocky terrain and organized the ground party to package the patient in the litter. He then led them up a steep rocky embankment and coordinated a vehicle to safely move the patient to the hoisting area 1/4 mile up an OHV Road.
The hiker was hoisted into the helicopter, and transferred to emergency medical services at Del Norte County Airport in Crescent City, California.
