ARKANSAS, USA — The Arkansas Helicopter Rescue Team has made its first rescue in Arkansas since the team was established.
According to a social media post by the Fayetteville Fire Department, the team was deployed out near the Buffalo River, where a hiker was injured. The local search and rescue team accessed the hiker while two Fayetteville firefighters were lowered to help strap her in and lift her back into the aircraft. An ambulance was waiting at the base to transport the hiker to a hospital.
Chief Willie Watts with Fayetteville Fire said the team brought in a helicopter from Little Rock.
Chief Watts was on the ground crew during the rescue, while three other Fayetteville firefighters were in the air.
He says the team is often able to provide aid to patients on foot, but in situations like this, the helicopter takes hours off the transport time.
"We can be back on the ground transporting that patient to the hospital in about 45 minutes, whereas normally it would take us 5 to 6 hours to get that patient," Chief Watts said.
Team members trained at Drake Field last week with the ARNG Aviation unit in both Blackhawk and Lakota helicopters, continuing to develop and build the helicopter search and rescue team.
AHRT is a joint partnership between the Arkansas National Guard, Central Arkansas Task Force 1, Northwest Arkansas Task Force 1, and the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management.
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