The Maryland State Police Aviation Command rescued an injured hiker after a harrowing fall in Carroll County on Friday. The individual had been walking along a wooded trail near Gaither Road and Railroad Avenue in Sykesville, Maryland, when they slipped, falling 20 feet down an embankment onto the top of a train tunnel. The challenging terrain and the hiker's position necessitated the use of a helicopter for evacuation.
At approximately 3 p.m., Carroll County EMS and Fire Department emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene. The terrain complicated rescue efforts, extending the time needed to reach and secure the patient. According to an article by the Maryland State Police, the Aviation Command's medevac was requested to assist with the extraction.
The Aviation Command's Trooper 1, stationed at Martin State Airport, swiftly responded, piloting their AgustaWestland AW-139 helicopter to the accident site. In a precise operation, the pilots established a 120-foot hover overhead, as State Trooper/Flight Paramedics were lowered to conduct a trauma assessment and ready the patient for hoisting.
Once securely placed in a Patient Extrication Platform (PEP) Bag, the hiker was hoisted aboard the helicopter for immediate transit to R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore for medical treatment.
