(Earleville, MD) Early Sunday morning, the crew of a Maryland State Police helicopter used their expertise and the capabilities of their new medevac helicopter to perform a hoist rescue of a woman who had fallen more than 60 down a rock face in a remote location in Cecil County.
Shortly before 12:30 a.m. Sunday, Cecil County Communications received a call for a female who fell from a rock face and landed along the shoreline near Earleville. Maryland State Police helicopter, Trooper 1, based at Martin State Airport, was dispatched and was the first unit at the scene. The crew used their night vision goggles, a technology available on the new AgustaWestland AW-139 helicopters, and was able to locate the victim at the base of a cliff. Due to the remote location, difficult terrain and environmental factors, first responders from Cecil County and the Trooper 1 crew agreed an aerial hoist was the best option for patient extraction and less hazardous to first responders.
Trooper 1 hoisted the victim into the aircraft and immediately transitioned to a medical evacuation role. While providing care in the air, the crew flew the victim to the University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. The rescue was an overwhelming success due to the seamless coordination of first responders in Cecil County and an experienced Maryland State Police flight crew.
The Maryland State Police Aviation Command has served Maryland citizens since 1970, and operates a fleet of ten helicopters from seven bases throughout Maryland on a 24/7/365 basis. Missions include medevac, law enforcement, search & rescue, homeland security, and disaster assessment. The success of rescues performed by the Aviation Command depends a great deal on the cooperative effort of local fire, rescue, EMS, and law enforcement agencies.
