PIKESVILLE, MD – Maryland State Police Aviation Command crews over the weekend rescued two injured mountain bikers in separate hoist missions in Howard County, Maryland and Tucker County, West Virginia.
Crews on Saturday afternoon rescued a 44-year-old man in Ellicott City, Maryland and a 41-year-old man in Davis, West Virginia. They were both injured while mountain biking and needed aerial rescues due to terrain difficulties, limited resources by first responders and the nature of their injuries.
The 44-year-old fell and became incapacitated after his bike struck a rock on a trail near the Valley Overlook in Patapsco Valley State Park Daniels area. His riding partner called 9-1-1. Maryland Natural Resources Police Helicopter Natural 1 conducted an initial search but did not locate the victim.
Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services personnel hiked to the man and initiated patient care before requesting a Maryland State Police helicopter. Pilots on Trooper 3, Frederick Section, hovered the Leonardo AW-139 helicopter nearly 180 feet above the dense tree covers, while a trooper/paramedic was lowered.
The trooper/paramedic, with assistance from Howard County rescuers, hiked the injured man approximately a quarter of a mile to the nearest clearing and secured him in a patient extrication platform. He was hoisted into the helicopter and flown to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore City for treatment of his injuries.
The crew from Trooper 5, Cumberland Section, also helped rescue a 41-year-old man after he suffered injuries from a mountain biking mishap in Davis, West Virginia. The mountain biker had been lying in a field for approximately two hours before Tucker County rescuers found him.
Pilots hovered the Leonardo AW-139 helicopter approximately 60 feet above the marshy terrain, while a trooper/paramedic was lowered. The trooper/paramedic, with assistance from Tucker County rescuers, secured the injured man in a patient extraction platform. He was hoisted into the aircraft and flown to J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia for treatment of his injuries.
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 round-the-clock coverage to Maryland residents and visitors. The agency’s missions include medevac, law enforcement, search and rescue, homeland security, and disaster assessment. The success of the missions relies heavily on the cooperative efforts of local fire, rescue, EMS, law enforcement agencies, and our partners at the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Park Police.
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