An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

36th Rescue Flight crew saves woman

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Joshua Chapman
  • 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  The Kittitas County Sheriff's Department requested assistance from the Air Force Tuesday morning after ground teams, K-9 units and aircraft were unable to locate a missing woman who had left her home 3 a.m. Monday.

A five-man UH-1N Huey helicopter crew from the 36th Rescue Flight here responded to an emergency call from the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., to search for a 44-year-old woman reported lost by her husband in Ellensburg, Wash. The rescue crew was dispatched from Fairchild at around 8 a.m. the following morning.

The crew was led by Maj. Daniel Nielsen, 36th RQF director of operations and aircraft commander for the mission. The major was accompanied by 1st Lt. James Outland, pilot; Master Sgt. Patrick Hunt, independent-duty medical technician paramedic; Tech. Sgt. Matt Ryplewski, flight engineer; and Chaz Burton, crew chief.

Upon arriving at Bowers Field in Ellensburg, the crew refueled the helicopter and quickly returned to the skies. At around 10:15 a.m. they were in the area of concern and ardently searching for the lost woman.

"When we arrived into the area, we were surrounded by clouds. The ceiling was as low as 500 feet, and visibility was limited to about two miles," said Lieutenant Outland. "With conditions like that, we weren't sure that we would be able to find her."

But the crew did find her. About two hours after beginning their search, just as the clouds began to lift, the Airmen discovered the woman walking along a high ridgeline, three miles from her home.

"We weren't expecting that she would be in an area so high up," said Sergeant Hunt. "But we had a hunch, we went with it, and we found her."

The crew landed the helicopter on a rural road near the woman's location. Sergeant Hunt was first to assist. "The woman was underdressed; she wasn't wearing pants or shoes," he said. "She was suffering from mild hypothermia. Her feet were noticeably injured, and several toes appeared to be fractured."

Sergeant Hunt removed his flight jacket, placed it over the woman, and brought her back to the helicopter where she was given a snack and bottled water. The crew left the scene shortly thereafter, and headed back to Bowers Field, where an ambulance met the crew and transferred the woman to a local hospital for care.

The woman's husband reported he was very grateful to all those who participated in the search efforts. "We owe a thanks that can never be repaid to the professionals involved in the search from Kittitas County and throughout the state," he was quoted as saying in a press release.

"We train tirelessly, so to experience our training translate into a successful mission like this is very rewarding," said Major Nielsen.

This was rescue number 624 for the 36th RQF.

The unit falls under Air Education and Training Command's 336th Training Group and is part of the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape School here.