40th Helicopter Squadron records rescue No. 383

  • Published
  • By Sean McGuire
  • 341st Missile Wing
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  Less than two weeks after its 382nd rescue, the Air Force Global Strike Command's 40th Helicopter Squadron obtained its 383rd. On July 7, one of the unit's UH-1N Huey helicopter crews picked up a 34-year-old man and his dog.

Aircraft commander/pilot for the rescue was Capt. Leo Gracik. Also in the crew was Capt. Kurt Ponsor, co-pilot; Senior Airman Michael Frank, flight engineer; and Dr. (Maj.) Glenn Donnelly, flight surgeon.

On July 4, the man had checked into the Glen Lake trailhead, about 30 miles south of Missoula. When he failed to return July 6, a search and rescue request went to the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center for support approval.

After the request met approval, the crew flew into the Bitterroot Mountains to look for the man at around 1:30 p.m. According to Gracik's synopsis, another helicopter found the man first. He was on top of a ridge near Stevensville, Mont. The other helicopter hovered around him until the Huey arrived. Dr. Donnelly was sent down by hoist to recover the hiker and his dog; both were recovered safely.

"The survivor confessed that he had become disoriented and did not know the way out," Donnelly said. "He was running low on food and water, and he had left his map in his vehicle a few days earlier."

They left Donnelly on the ridge and transported the hiker and his dog to a trailhead 10 miles away where teams on the ground took over.

"We then returned to the site and retrieved the doctor and the survivor's gear and took it all to the trailhead, loaded our extra gear we had left there and proceeded to Ravali County Airport (in Hamilton, Mont.) for refuel," said Gracik.

Since the search had only taken 45 minutes, the crew went straight back to Great Falls. They arrived at Malmstrom AFB around 6:30 p.m.

"I am very pleased with the success of this rescue," Donnelly said. "I feel doubly blessed to have had two successful rescues so close together."