Search & Rescue News: Two Helicopter Evacuations

August 20, 2013 Posted by: Yosemite Search and Rescue

Last week Yosemite Search and Rescue (YOSAR) conducted two separate helicopter evacuations from the park’s wilderness. On August 13, a 70-year-old female sustained injuries after falling from a mule near Vogelsang High Sierra Camp. Two Tuolumne Meadows YOSAR team members hiked to her location and remained on scene until the following morning, when she was flown to definitive care by helicopter. The second incident occurred on August 15 near Miller Lake when a 64-year-old female called 911 on a personal satellite phone to request assistance for a back injury. A wilderness ranger hiked to the subject’s location, arriving shortly before she was evacuated by helicopter. Both rescues were conducted by Helicopter 552, which is based out of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. When Yosemite’s primary helicopter is unavailable due to fire attack commitments, YOSAR relies on mutual aid from other helicopters with similar rescue capabilities, such as those staffed by California Highway Patrol or Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.