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Helicopter crew saves two lives during search and rescue mission

  • Published
  • By Lan Kim
  • 90th Missile Wing Public Affairs
An aircrew from the 37th Helicopter Squadron successfully located and saved two men the morning of Jan. 18.

Warren aircrew responded to a request from local officials when reports determined that two men had gone missing, Jan. 16, while snowmobile riding in southern Wyoming.

The standby crew, responsible for the search and rescue, was recalled at 5:00 a.m. and required to respond within the hour.

“We got the call that morning, we were told to come in for a possible SAR,” said Staff Sgt. Brice Marshall, 37th HS flight engineer. “We came in, prepped for it and were ready to go.”

After receiving the request forwarded through the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, Capt. Stephen Jones, aircraft commander; 1st Lt. Mathew Brox, co-pilot; Lt. Col. Michael Clay, 90th Medical Operations Squadron on-board flight medic and Marshall, launched at first light with a SAR equipped UH-1N Huey helicopter. Initial ground search efforts in locating the men proved unsuccessful, according to Maj. Jake Brittingham, 37th HS director of staff and operations superintendent at the time.

Missing for nearly 48 hours, the helicopter crew found the survivors at the bottom of a ravine in a mountainous area of Carbon County at approximately 10:00 a.m. After Clay was lowered by a hoist more than 100 feet to the men, he was able to determine they were in good health. A ground search party organized by the Carbon County Sheriff Department was then routed to successfully recover the two men.

“We work with them enough to where we have a good protocol in place,” said Carbon County Sheriff Jerry Colson when he described the interagency coordination between 37th HS and Wyoming’s responders. “I certainly appreciate that resource… No doubt, they saved lives.”