Helicopter Heroism Award Nominations
| Maryland State Police Aviation Command Icy Swiftwater Rescue Amidst Powerlines and Trees | |
| River Road, Bethesda, Maryland - 12/23/2008 | |
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| Maryland State Police Aviation Command Trooper 2 December 23, 2008 Maryland State Police Aviation Command Helicopter “Trooper 2”, crewed by Pilot Mr. Jim MacKay and Flight Paramedic Sergeant Nathan Wheelock, was dispatched from its Washington Section Hangar, located on Andrews Air Force Base, to River Road in Bethesda, Montgomery County, Maryland for a possible aerial rescue of victims trapped in their vehicles following a 60-inch water main break. This portion of River Road is a main commuter thoroughfare linking Montgomery County with the Capital Beltway and Washington D.C. The water main break caused 150,000 gallons of water a minute to begin flowing down the roadway, creating a reported 4-foot wall of water. Victims began calling 911 from their vehicles, screaming for help while indicating that vehicles were sliding down the road with water filling their cars, reportedly up to their knees. Prior to launch, the crew reconfigured the aircraft for potential hoist operations by placing the rescue basket in the Helicopter Service Area (HSA) along with both trail lines. En route to the scene they established communications with both Montgomery County Fire Command as well as multiple news helicopters in the vicinity filming the incident and streaming it live across the country. Mr. MacKay and Sergeant Wheelock completed appropriate steps on the rescue checklist prior to arriving on scene. Once over the scene, they completed both a high and low reconnaissance prior to establishing an initial hover for an overall scene assessment to include threats, total number of victims and their locations in the stranded vehicles below. Their scene assessment included observation of a steeply sloped road that was covered by an indeterminate depth of swiftly moving water. At least seven cars were stranded by the rushing water and appeared to be unstable and at risk of being swept down the hill and into the swollen Cabin John Creek. A few vehicles exhibited evidence of having already slid down the hill and were lodged against other vehicles, while some had in fact, slid all the way to the bottom. Additional consideration bearing on the choice to execute the hoist rescue included an outside air temperature of 18 degrees F and the length of time the survivors had been exposed to the cold water. There were power lines lining each side of the road as well as two sets of power lines crossing with a canopy of trees partially obstructing the roadway from the West. Included in their decision making process was the review of an emergency procedures assessment, as indicated on the aerial rescue checklist, from which the crew determined that once committed to a hoist operation there would be no option for a fly-away in the event of an engine failure or other critical aircraft malfunction. A subject located back off the roadway, through visual communications, provided the crew with intelligence as to which vehicles were occupied and how many victims were in each. The overall situation was relayed to Montgomery County Command with additional information relayed back that access by fire/rescue personnel from the ground did not seem a possibility due to the rushing water and the position of the vehicles. The crew determined that a hoist rescue would be the safest means for all parties, victims and rescuers alike, involved and began hoisting operations. Trooper 2 completed two hoist evolutions rescuing the three victims from the downstream vehicles. On the first, a 22 year old woman self-extricated through her open door window and climbed into the rescue basket. Once the device was secured alongside the helicopter, the victim was brought into the HSA and secured in the aft facing forward seat. On the second evolution, another vehicle’s front passenger door was opened to await arrival of the rescue basket. The downwash of the rotor system and rushing water made placement into the space of the open door more challenging. One victim was able to grasp the basket and bring it closer. Both victims, a mother and her 9 year old son, climbed into the device and were hoisted up to the aircraft. Once the basket was secured alongside the aircraft, Mr. MacKay transitioned the aircraft ¼ mile away to an open field to off-load the victims from the basket and complete a medical assessment on all three. All three victims were soaking wet, covered with ice and shivering. They were secured in the HSA with the heat open full. The hoist cable was unable to be immediately disconnected from the rescue device due to ice formation over the entire basket, hook and locking mechanism. However, after a brief time in the HSA, the hook ultimately broke free, was disconnected and secured in its housing. The victims remained in Trooper 2 and were flown 3 ¼ miles to Suburban Hospital, a local trauma center, for continued evaluation and treatment for hypothermia. __________________________________________________________________ This rescue, completed less than 48 hours before Christmas, was highly publicized in both the local and national news arenas. Later that night, Pilot MacKay and Flight Paramedic Sergeant Wheelock were interviewed by Greta VanSusteren in her Washington, D.C. studio. The following morning, the crew, along with the last two victims rescued, was interviewed by Matt Lauer on the “Today Show” in front of Trooper 2 and the basket and hoist that made the rescue possible. __________________________________________________________________ It is with great pride that this nomination is submitted for the outstanding and heroic rescues completed by Pilot Jim MacKay and Flight Paramedic Sergeant Nathan Wheelock. | |
