WARRENTON, Ore. — The Coast Guard rescued a woman with a broken ankle off the summit side of Saddle Mountain, which is about 20 miles east of Seaside Wednesday night.
An aircrew aboard an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter, from Coast Guard Sector Columbia River, hoisted the injured hiker, 75, and transported her to the air station in Warrenton where she was transferred to emergency medical services.
The Coast Guard received a request from personnel at the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, which is responsible for inland search and rescue, for a helicopter and crew to hoist an injured woman off Saddle Mountain at 6:49 p.m. The Jayhawk aircrew immediately launched and arrived on scene at 7:25 p.m. The aircrew safely hoisted the woman into the helicopter and headed back to base at 7:52 p.m.
"Our aircrews are trained for various kinds of inland search and rescue and we always stand ready to assist the Air Force and our state emergency coordinators as needed," said Petty Officer 1st Class Starr Franklin, operations unit leader, Sector Columbia River Command Center. "Inland rescue is unique to our area of responsibility where we are often the closest search and rescue asset that can rescue someone from steep terrain."
A Hamlet Fire ground party hiked up Saddle Mountain add provided medical care until the helicopter arrived.