Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Joseph VonNida | At approximately 11 a.m. on Dec. 26, the High-Altitude Army National Guard Aviation...... read more read more
Each year the holidays bring joy and cheer to millions of people. Frequently, the winter season brings harsh weather as well.
As a major winter storm system crossed the Midwest, Kira Davis and Duc Ong from Hawaii felt the effects.
While more than 100 Guardsmen from Colorado's neighboring states were activated to prepare for and recover from the blizzard-like conditions that blanketed the region for much of the holiday week, the Colorado Army National Guard had a different mission: search for the Hawaiians missing from a cross-country ski trek in mountainous terrain.
Shortly after the Colorado National Guard's Joint Operations Center was notified by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center of two missing skiers in the state's backcountry, the COARNG was called into action. At approximately 11 a.m. on Dec. 26, the High-Altitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site launched an OH-58 Kiowa helicopter to assist the Lake County Sheriff's Department in the search and rescue mission.
"We had a vague idea of what we were up against," said HAATS Commander Maj. Joshua Day. "The mission was pretty similar to most other search and rescues. It was cloudy and cold but there was no wind."
The Lake County Sheriff's Department said that the skiers called for help the evening of Dec. 25, but rescue crews were unsuccessful in locating the couple and the search was postponed until morning.
The couple spent the night in the bitter, sub-zero weather, huddled under a tree using a sleeping bag for warmth.
At approximately 1:00 p.m. on Dec. 26, Day and HAATS Pilot Chief Warrant Officer 4 Carl Gray spotted the two skiers near Turquoise Lake west of Leadville Lake in the White River National Forest. The skiers were taken to the Lake County Sheriff's command post in good condition.
"We were able to use all the skills we teach at the school to successfully execute this mission," said Day. "We determined the wind speed and did a terrain analysis of the search area based on the information obtained from Lake County officials."
Day said that the rugged terrain at more than 11,000 feet made for a tight landing site and the trees didn't allow much rotor clearance. The Kiowa landed approximately 15 feet from the skiers.
"The Kiowa provides us the best visibility so we typically use this aircraft to search for lost or missing persons," said Day. In this specific situation, the larger UH-60 Black Hawk would not have been able to land where the skiers were located.
HAATS, located in the small mountain town of Gypsum, Colo., near Vail, has frequently served as a launching point for search and rescue missions when terrain or altitude favors the use of a military aircraft with specialized capabilities. The primary role of HAATS is to train helicopter pilots from all over the world to manage power in high altitude environments.
While HAATS is in a prime location to launch helicopters for civilian emergency support, it is not the only aircraft operations asset available to the Colorado National Guard. The Army Aviation Support Facility located on Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colo., has a number of CH-47 Chinook, UH-60 Black Hawk and OH-58 Kiowa helicopters that can be used to support state missions by providing a quick reaction force of troops to aid in state missions, such as aerial support for wildfires and blizzards.
"Colorado Army National Guard helicopters can support life or limb search and rescue operations in conjunction with civilian emergency rescue service crews when the terrain or altitude makes landing a civilian (emergency service) aircraft questionable," said COARNG State Aviation Officer Col. Joel Best. "Our aircraft are equipped with internal and external rescue hoists and have superior altitude capability which improves safety. Once an external hoist rescue is completed, our aircraft expedite the patient to the nearest ground or air ambulance."
On average, the COARNG conducts 25 search and rescue missions a year. Most of these missions are for hikers in the highest areas of Colorado's mountains.
Colorado National Guard officials have suggestions for people planning adventures in the mountains: Have a plan to survive in case you get lost or injured:
•Take warm clothes and a sleeping bag.
•Have a sufficient supply of food and water.
•Bring a signal mirror, GPS and cell phone.
•Go in groups of two or more and don't separate.
•If you're lost, get to an open area and stay there. Be visible to rescue crews.
| Date Taken: | 12.26.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 12.31.2009 17:02 |
| Story ID: | 43353 |
| Location: |
| Web Views: | 342 |
| Downloads: | 316 |
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