Pilot loses power, still rescues hikers

By David Baker

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    BLACK CANYON CITY, Arizona (KPHO) — A regular rescue for a couple of hikers in Yavapai County took a turn when the helicopter lost power but the pair still got to safety thanks to the pilot. On Friday evening, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office received a call that two hikers needed help on Pine Mountain, which is east of Black Canyon City. Search and rescue teams in the air and on the ground went to look for them. The helicopter pilot found them first close to their last known coordinates and then he looked for about 30 minutes for a spot to land the helicopter.

Once he did, he then brought water to the dehydrated hikers, who told him they wanted to be flown off the mountain. About 3 to 5 feet in the air, the helicopter started to lose power, YCSO said, so the pilot tried to put it back on the ground. But because of the wind, the helicopter’s rotor hit a tree and the helicopter fully lost power. But the pilot was still landed the helicopter safely with no one hurt, despite being in a dangerous area with big boulders and trees, deputies said.

The Department of Public Safety was called to use its helicopter, but the windy weather prevented troopers from finding a spot to land and fly the hikers out. So the YCSO pilot decided to get the hikers off the mountain by hiking with them the 8 miles to safety, YCSO said. The hikers told deputies the pilot saved their lives and were grateful for all that he did. “This highlights for people the danger that the rescuers face themselves when they are rescuing others,” said Yavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes.

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