TENNESSEE, USA — A Tennessee Army National Guard medical flight crew responded to an emergency air evacuation mission after a victim suffered from difficulty breathing while hiking in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park area on May 9, officials said.
Officials said that shortly before 7 a.m., the Tennessee Military Department and Tennessee Emergency Management Agency were notified of a hiker in distress near the Tri Corner Knob Shelter along the Appalachian Trail.
Requiring immediate medical care and unable to be transported by ground, the Tennessee National Guard was alerted for a helicopter rescue.
A UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from Detachment 1, Company C, 1-171st Aviation Regiment based in Knoxville assembled in under an hour and launched to the incident site, arriving at the Tri Corner Knob Shelter around 9 a.m.
Upon arrival, the flight crew began hoist operations.
With the aircraft unable to land due to terrain, Spc. Joshua Culotta, a crew chief, lowered Sgt. 1st Class Giovanni DeZuani, a flight faramedic, to the patient via rescue hoist where he performed a quick medical assessment, initial first aid, and ensured that the patient was stable enough for hoisting.
Once complete, Dezuani and the patient were lifted safely into the helicopter, which departed to the University of Tennessee Medical Center.
The entire hoisting operation took 12 minutes to complete, officials said.
While onboard, the aircrew continued medical aid to the patient during the 20-minute flight to the hospital.
According to a press release, this is the second search and rescue mission by the Tennessee National Guard this year.
On April 15, a Tennessee Army National Guard medical flight crew responded to an emergency air evacuation mission after a victim suffered a stroke while hiking in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park area.
