A harrowing nighttime rescue unfolded in the rugged expanse of the Franklin Mountains State Park as U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations (AMO) helicopter crews navigated the treacherous terrain to save an injured hiker. Yesterday, the CBP AMO's El Paso Air Branch was called into action by El Paso County Combined Search and Rescue (COMSAR) after an injured male hiker needed urgent help.
The circumstances necessitated a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, equipped for hoist operations, due to the inaccessible location and high altitude challenges. The crew, utilizing night vision goggles, managed to search and eventually locate the hiker with the guidance of the COMSAR team. A rescue specialist was then carefully lowered into the abyss, where, after several hoist cycles, the specialist secured the hiker, and five COMSAR personnel were also retrieved, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Following the extraction, the AMO crew transported the hiker and rescuers to an incident command post prepared by COMSAR at ground level. The hiker's condition was then handed over to the care of El Paso Fire and Rescue for immediate transportation to a nearby hospital for further treatment, ensuring the victim received the crucial medical attention required.
