Maine Aviators Rescue Boy on Appalachian Trail

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Part of a Maine National Guard Blackhawk Helicopter crew Sgt. 1st Class Mark Urquhart, practices using the External Hoist like the one used to rescue the young hiker today.

AUGUSTA, ME (08/24/2016)(readMedia)-- The Maine Army National Guard medevac team was called in Wednesday morning to assist in the rescue of a 14-year old male from the Appalachian Trail near Elliotsville Plantation, Maine.

The Maine Warden Service called the Army Aviation Support Facility to request the medical evacuation after being alerted by the family of the child who had suffered a leg injury while hiking the 100-mile wilderness section of the Appalachian Trail near Cloud Pond.

The rescue team consisted of Maine Army National Guard soldiers, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Jon Campbell, the pilot in command of the mission, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Kevin Daniel, co-pilot, Sgt. 1st Class Mark Urquhart, flight medic, and crew chief Sgt. Brandon Dugay. The patient's location on the heavily wooded Appalachian Trail made landing an aircraft in that location impossible, so he was lifted out of the woods using the medevac hoist system, and evaluated by Urquhart onboard.

Urquhart kept the patient in a stable condition until they arrived at the hospital where he was admitted for further treatment.

"We are very pleased when the end result of our training benefits the citizens of Maine," said Brig. Gen. Douglas A. Farnham, the Adjutant General for the Maine National Guard. "We are always on stand-by to work with the Maine Wardens Service. It is a fundamental mission to partner with local agencies and provide assistance however we can."