TUCSON, Arizona — U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Maritime Services, and U.S. Border Patrol rescued two heat-stressed Americans near Montana Peak south of Arivaca, Arizona.
At approximately 1:10 p.m. Monday, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office contacted the Tucson Border Patrol to help respond to two U.S. citizens seeking emergency medical assistance near Montana Peak in southwest Arivaka. bottom. One was unconscious and unconscious, and the other was suffering from extreme heat stress.
Tucson Station Border Patrol agents were dispatched to the scene and hiked up Montana Peak. More personnel followed with emergency medical equipment, and the Arizona Air Coordination Center was alerted of the situation and requested air support. At approximately 2:55 p.m., staff contacted the man and woman, recognized the severity of the situation, and initiated emergency cooling measures at the scene. Workers shaded themselves with small tarps and poured cold water on the men and women from personal water bowls. Intravenous treatment was initiated by a Border Patrol Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) while immediate air evacuation was requested.
“CBP Border Patrol and Air Force and Marines operate daily in the extreme terrain and excessive heat commonly found in southern Arizona. We are considering it,” said Tucson Area Chief Patrol Agent John Modlin. “Border agents literally throw away their water to save lives, knowing they have to crawl out of remote terrain in over 100-degree heat.”
The UH-60 Blackhawk crew took off from the Tucson Air Station at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and arrived at the scene around 3:45 p.m. The crew was able to locate the operatives and the men and women in a narrow cut below Montana Peak. Due to bad terrain and no suitable landing site, air-sea rescue emergency medical technicians and Border Patrol Trauma Rescue (BORSTAR) paramedics descended to the scene using helicopter hoists to assess the extent of the injuries. . Rescue specialists determined that a hoist rescue was necessary, and the men and women were packed for transport and hoisted to a waiting helicopter.
Due to the patient’s fragile condition, the crew evacuated the man and woman to Banner University Medical Center for further treatment and evaluation.
“During the hot summer months, desert dwellers in southern Arizona can get overheated quickly,” said Jose Muriente, deputy director of air operations for Tucson Airlines. “In this case, the men and women were able to recognize the situation they were in, contact emergency services, and CBP was able to respond to the situation. It often happens.”
Direct link to AMO USBP Tucson Hoist Rescue V Roll 230703:
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