Thursday night on the Boundary Waters’ remote Angleworm Trail turned into a high-stakes rescue when Ely-area first responders and the Minnesota Air Rescue Team hoisted a man with a severe leg injury out of the woods. Crews flew him to an ambulance waiting at the Ely airport, and he was then driven to Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital with injuries believed to be non-life-threatening. Officials say the wound happened while the man was using a machete.
Rescue crews reached the remote Angleworm Trail
Dispatchers with the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office sent Ely-area law enforcement and fire crews to the Angleworm Trail after a call came in about an injured man at roughly 8:21 p.m. The Minnesota Air Rescue Team carried out a hoist operation to bring him into a helicopter and flew him to an awaiting ambulance at the Ely airport. Authorities have not released his name or additional details, according to FOX 9.
How the extraction unfolded
Local reporting states the man suffered a severe leg injury while using a machete and was lifted from the trail into the helicopter before ground crews moved him the short distance at the airport. A rescue photo shared with news outlets was credited to the St. Louis County Rescue Squad. The injured man was taken to Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital with what officials believe are non-life-threatening wounds, per WDIO.
Why the air-rescue team matters
The Minnesota Air Rescue Team has become an increasingly important tool for remote rescues in northern Minnesota, including recent nighttime hoists that let crews reach people who might be out of reach for ground teams. MART’s hoist capability and training allow responders to pull people from lakeshores and trail clearings and get them to higher-level care faster, officials told the Star Tribune. Local chiefs say those saved minutes can be crucial when weather or terrain slow a ground response.
Safety reminders for Boundary Waters visitors
The Angleworm Trail loops through the Boundary Waters and runs through mostly primitive terrain with limited cellphone coverage and few easy exit routes. The U.S. Forest Service advises that visitors travel prepared with maps, emergency signaling gear and a permit. The agency stresses that self-sufficiency, including solid footwear, ample water and emergency supplies, is essential because “there is no easy way to get assistance” in many parts of the BWCA, per the U.S. Forest Service. Visitors planning trips into the BWCA are urged to carry a reliable way to call for help and tell someone where they are heading before they leave.
