A Tennessee National Guard medical flight crew recently evacuated an injured hiker from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, according to the Tennessee Department of Military.
On Thursday, July 27, the Tennessee National Guard and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) were notified that a hiker in a remote area of the park near Inspiration Point along Alum Cave Trail was suffering head trauma and needed immediate medical aid and evacuation to a nearby hospital.
During the evening of July 27, a medical flight crew from the Tennessee Army National Guard performed an emergency air evacuation mission for an injured hiker at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.#tennesseenationalguard #hikerrescue pic.twitter.com/QHcxgnv8Mq
— Tenn. National Guard (@TNMilitaryDept) July 29, 2023
TEMA approved the mission and Tennessee National Guardsmen assigned to the 1-230th Assault Helicopter Battalion in Knoxville assembled a flight crew and prepared a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter for the rescue mission – all within 40 minutes.
The Tennessee Army National Guard flight crew for the rescue mission included two pilots, Chief Warrant Officer 3’s Andrew Redley and Daniel Backus; two crew chiefs, Staff Sgt. Allen Belcher and Sgt. Christopher Farrar; and flight paramedic Sgt. 1st Class Giovanni DeZuani.
The crew departed Joint Base McGhee-Tyson shortly before 7:40 p.m. and arrived at the rescue site 11 minutes later, where they quickly located the victim. Upon arrival, park rangers from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park were rendering first aid to the injured hiker.
Shortly after 8 p.m., aircraft crew chief Farrar lowered flight paramedic DeZuani to the ground by hoist to do a medical assessment and prepare the hiker for transport. The victim was then put on a Skedco stretcher and hoisted into the helicopter.
The hiker continued to receive aid on the aircraft while the crew transported them to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville. The aircraft landed at UT Medical Center at approximately 9 p.m. and medical personnel rushed the injured hiker into the emergency room.
The military department notes that the entire rescue mission was completed in less than an hour and a half.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
