Straight Arrow
Well-known member
Injured hiker rescued from Gates of the Mountains Wilderness
THOM BRIDGE, Independent Record
Lewis and Clark Search and Rescue and Two Bear Air recovered an older couple stranded in the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness northeast of Helena on Tuesday afternoon.
The married couple was hiking along the Meriwether Cannon Trail when the 75-year-old man injured his leg. The woman climbed a hill to call for help, according to Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton.
Search and rescue was deployed as well as Two Bear Air from Kalispell. The woman was able to provide accurate coordinates from her cellphone.
They were located nearly 6 miles from and about 2,000 feet above the Meriwether Picnic Area.
The helicopter crew hoisted the man out of the wilderness to the Gates of the Mountains boat docks, at which point he was taken by ambulance to St. Peter's Health.
Two Bear then returned to the site to hoist the woman and the couple's packs to safety.
Dutton said search and rescue's backup plan was to travel up the river by boat to the picnic area and hike into the forest.
Although "older couple" was a misnomer as all is relative, the couple was my wife and I. A rock went out from under me and down I went with a heavy backpack driving me down, twisting my knee and severing the tendon from the patella to the lower leg. Hunting season now not looking promising. The EMTs described my wife's compression sleeve, foam pad, ace bandage, two-stick, paracord splint as the best backcountry splint they had seen. The air crew EMT who hoisted me up on a cable into the helicopter saw my Huey cap and speculated that I was an old Vietnam Vet Huey driver who just wanted another chopper ride.
His insight was based on the fact that his father is a retired career Army former Vietnam Huey pilot. I had flown some sling loads during my career ... but had never been on the other end of the line! 
Be careful out there, Hunt Talkers!
THOM BRIDGE, Independent Record
Lewis and Clark Search and Rescue and Two Bear Air recovered an older couple stranded in the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness northeast of Helena on Tuesday afternoon.
The married couple was hiking along the Meriwether Cannon Trail when the 75-year-old man injured his leg. The woman climbed a hill to call for help, according to Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton.
Search and rescue was deployed as well as Two Bear Air from Kalispell. The woman was able to provide accurate coordinates from her cellphone.
They were located nearly 6 miles from and about 2,000 feet above the Meriwether Picnic Area.
The helicopter crew hoisted the man out of the wilderness to the Gates of the Mountains boat docks, at which point he was taken by ambulance to St. Peter's Health.
Two Bear then returned to the site to hoist the woman and the couple's packs to safety.
Dutton said search and rescue's backup plan was to travel up the river by boat to the picnic area and hike into the forest.
Although "older couple" was a misnomer as all is relative, the couple was my wife and I. A rock went out from under me and down I went with a heavy backpack driving me down, twisting my knee and severing the tendon from the patella to the lower leg. Hunting season now not looking promising. The EMTs described my wife's compression sleeve, foam pad, ace bandage, two-stick, paracord splint as the best backcountry splint they had seen. The air crew EMT who hoisted me up on a cable into the helicopter saw my Huey cap and speculated that I was an old Vietnam Vet Huey driver who just wanted another chopper ride.
His insight was based on the fact that his father is a retired career Army former Vietnam Huey pilot. I had flown some sling loads during my career ... but had never been on the other end of the line! Be careful out there, Hunt Talkers!
. In all seriousness glad you’re ok and your wife was with you to make the call and bandage you up.
