A New Mexico Army National Guard aviation medevac team rescued a stranded hiker Wednesday evening after he became lost and incapacitated in remote terrain in Sierra County, officials said.The rescue mission began after New Mexico search and rescue officials received an urgent request for assistance regarding a 44-year-old man who had reportedly become stranded in rugged backcountry inaccessible to ground rescue crews.According to Bob Rodgers of New Mexico Search and Rescue, local emergency managers alerted responders after receiving reports that the hiker was dehydrated, intermittently incoherent and unable to safely navigate out of the area.In response, the New Mexico National Guard launched an HH-60 Black Hawk helicopter shortly after 5 p.m. to locate and recover the man.While en route, the aircrew learned the hiker had stopped responding to phone calls and text messages, heightening concerns about his condition and prompting an intensified aerial search effort.Upon arriving near the hiker’s last known location, the medevac crew spent approximately 30 minutes circling the rugged terrain before successfully spotting the stranded man.The crew then safely hoisted the hiker aboard the helicopter and transported him to Truth or Consequences, where emergency medical personnel were waiting to provide further treatment and transport him to a local hospital.Officials said the hiker was in stable condition by the time he was transferred from the care of the aircrew.
A New Mexico Army National Guard aviation medevac team rescued a stranded hiker Wednesday evening after he became lost and incapacitated in remote terrain in Sierra County, officials said.
The rescue mission began after New Mexico search and rescue officials received an urgent request for assistance regarding a 44-year-old man who had reportedly become stranded in rugged backcountry inaccessible to ground rescue crews.
According to Bob Rodgers of New Mexico Search and Rescue, local emergency managers alerted responders after receiving reports that the hiker was dehydrated, intermittently incoherent and unable to safely navigate out of the area.
In response, the New Mexico National Guard launched an HH-60 Black Hawk helicopter shortly after 5 p.m. to locate and recover the man.
While en route, the aircrew learned the hiker had stopped responding to phone calls and text messages, heightening concerns about his condition and prompting an intensified aerial search effort.
Upon arriving near the hiker’s last known location, the medevac crew spent approximately 30 minutes circling the rugged terrain before successfully spotting the stranded man.
The crew then safely hoisted the hiker aboard the helicopter and transported him to Truth or Consequences, where emergency medical personnel were waiting to provide further treatment and transport him to a local hospital.
Officials said the hiker was in stable condition by the time he was transferred from the care of the aircrew.
