He Had Fallen Into A Steep, Deep Mountain Canyon While On A
Recreational Hike
Senior Airman Jake Rodenhaber, and
his friend Airman Michael Hejmanowski, were hiking near Bruneau
Canyon outside Boise, ID recently when Rodenhaber fell more
than 400 feet into the 1,200-foot-deep canyon. Hejmanowski ran 10
miles to seek help, but by nightfall, ground rescue squads had been
unable to find him.
Boise-Based Air Methods' lead pilot Jim Wright was dispatched to
transport Rodenhaber, who had managed to call 911 from his cell
phone, to the hospital. However, the cell coverage was weak in the
canyon. Ground crews were searching in the area where Hejmanowski
had left his friend to find help. Spotlights powered by generators
flooded the canyon below, but they were unable to locate him.
"When I arrived I saw all the ground crew lights, and saw the
efforts that were underway," said Wright. "I instructed the ground
crew to shut off all generators, lights and equipment. We would try
to call the cell phone and use a bull horn to instruct airman
Rodenhaber to turn his cell phone towards the helicopter."
A pair of night vision goggles, and training from Aviation
Specialties Unlimited, (ASU), helped save the Airman's life.
Wright and his team were there to transport Rodenhaber, not as
part of a search and rescue effort. But no other helicopters were
available in the vicinity. The helicopter took off about a quarter
of a mile from the site and made a pass through the area. With all
other lights shut off, Wright was able to see the glow from
Rodenhaber's cell phone with the night vision goggles, pinpointing
his location.
"I would not have been able to spot
him without the goggles from ASU. I was able to see the light
source from his phone. It was like spotting a black tire in the
middle of the desert. The ground crew could not see him because he
was concealed by an overhang."
Once the hiker had been located, Wright turned on his spotlight
and radioed the rescue squad below. He flashed his lights to let
Rodenhaber know that he had been found. "ASU's training taught us
how to fly safely using the night vision goggles," Wright said.
"They also taught us when to use our lights and when not to, about
depth perception, scanning techniques and normal safety procedures
with night vision goggles. They did an excellent job training
us."
ASU says the recent rescue reiterates the need for night vision
goggles to be used for night flights. "This Airman was in our home
town and I am glad our training and equipment helped to save his
life," said ASU founder and President Mike Atwood. "This is a prime
example of why night vision goggles are so important to the safety
and security of night flights."
Eleven hours after his fall, ground crews successfully retrieved
Rodenhaber, and Air Methods transported him to the nearest
hospital. He continues to recover.