On Wednesday afternoon,April 1, aflight crew with the Tennessee Army National Guard’s 1-230th Assault Helicopter Battalionrescued a park visitor suffering from cardiac arrest in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
Shortly after 2:40p.m., Eastern time, the Tennessee National Guard and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency were notified of apark visitorhaving a medical emergency in need ofimmediate assistance and rapid transportto a nearby hospital. The visitor was located near Dillons Gap along Kuwohi Road, which parallels the Appalachian Trail, in a remote area of the park southeast of Gatlinburg, along the North Carolina border.
Once TEMA was notified of the possible mission, Tennessee National Guardsmenassigned toTask Force Smokeyassembled a flight crewandreadieda UH-60 Blackhawk helicopterfor flight.As soon as the mission was approved, theaircraftdepartedJoint Base McGhee-Tysonat approximately 3:10p.m., flyingdirectly tothe rescue site.
In roughly 15 minutes, the aircraft arrived at Dillons Gap and the Tennessee National Guard flight crew, which consisted of two pilots, Chief Warrant Officer4 Brian Spotts and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andres Salas, thecrew chief, Sgt.Gabriel Weston, andtwoflight paramedics, Sgt. 1st ClassGiovanni DeZuani and John Sharbel, began rescue operations.
Once the patient and rescue crew were located, theaircraftlanded at the Dillons Gap parking lot along Kuwohi Road. Both flight paramedics exited the aircraft, and with the help of local Emergency Medical Services, transferred the patient from the EMS ambulance currently caring for the patient to the aircraft. Once transferred and the patient was safe on board, the aircraftflew to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville while first aid continued throughout the flight.
At approximately3:55p.m., theaircraftlanded atthe medical center where medical personnel rushed the patient into the emergency room. Once the patient was safely in the care of medical professionals, the aircraft returned to Louisville and landed just after 4:20 p.m.