Flagstaff, AZ where I live 8 months of the year is a gateway tourist city to the Grand Canyon as well as a lot of other spectacular AZ wonders. As a result things get a bit crazy in and around town on Memorial Day weekend. Also people like to come here to the cool pines to escape the desert heat which is pushing into the 100's now.
Unfortunately things don't always go as planned for outdoor enthusiasts, and I spent much of the weekend with my SAR team on search missions, and unfortunately one body recovery.
Last year about this time we had a large complex search for a missing hiker in the remote west end of Grand Canyon. So join me for a video and eagles eye view of Grand Canyon and an inside view of a search mission aboard the AZ Dept. of Public Saftey Air Rescue Helicopter...Ranger 52, as they shuttle us to the remote search area inside Grand Canyon.
Three videos after these pictures.
After our drop off.
Guiding the helicopter in for our pick up at the end of the day.
Take off from the SAR Incident Comand Post.
Sadly this hiker was never found after several weeks of searching and is still missing today.
Then talking about Memorial Day ...and those who have given their lives in service to country, a couple weeks ago we had another search for another overdue hiker in Grand Canyon. This one started at night. We were very fortunate to work closely with the elite Air Force Pararescue Jumpers (PJ's) from Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas. They do combat search and rescue for downed pilots, and injured soldiers behind enenmy lines. They also assist civilian search and rescue units,like ours which helps them in training. Their motto is "So Others May Live" They currently have a program on the Nat. Geo Channel about the PJs. The two PJs we briefed looked like real impressive dudes with some neat equipment!
In the video if you expand the view and look closely you will see them being winched up into their big Pave Hawl rescue helicopter, capable of operating 24/7 in all kinds of weather and terrain. Similar to the Black Hawk helos we see flying around Cape Vincent from Ft. Drum but more sophisticated for rescue work. The pics and video taken through our night vision googles.
They had winched down to us to set up communications and have us brief
them on the search area and search subject.
The lone female hiker was found the next morning safe, but dehydrated and exhausted.
One video after this picture.
Air Force PJs on a dirt 4wd road on a starry starry
N. AZ night waiting for their helicopter to winch them up.
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