A Maryland State Police helicopter rescued an injured hiker from a remote area of Chimney Top in Grant County, West Virginia early Saturday morning after a fall left the hiker seriously hurt and unreachable by ground crews.
What’s Happening: Emergency personnel in Grant County requested Trooper 5, a Maryland State Police Aviation Command helicopter, to perform a hoist rescue. Ground crews would have needed several hours to reach the hiker on foot.
What’s Important: A trooper and flight paramedic was lowered by hoist to the hiker, provided medical care, and then both were lifted back to the aircraft. Two fellow hikers on the ground assisted with the operation.
The hiker was flown to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia in serious but stable condition.
Catch Up Quick: Trooper 5 is part of the Maryland State Police Aviation Command, which provides medevac and search-and-rescue services. The unit operates across Maryland and responds to requests from neighboring states when called upon. Hoist rescues are used when terrain or conditions make it impossible for a helicopter to land near a patient.
Ruby Memorial Hospital is a Level I trauma center operated by West Virginia University Medicine in Morgantown.
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