AIR GUARD CREWS SAVE SNOWSHOER IN CALAVERAS COUNTY

MOFFETT FEDERAL AIRFIELD, Calif. - Air National Guardsmen from the 129th Rescue Wing, recently back from a deployment to Afghanistan, conducted a successful search and rescue mission of a missing snowshoer in Calaveras County yesterday.

Responding to the call from the Calaveras County Sherriff’s office, pararescue teams and two HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters departed here at 10:20 am. Shortly after the helicopters arrived in the Camp Connell vicinity near Dorrington, Calif., they made contact with a ground search party that found the snowshoer’s tracks. The 29-year-old male went missing Saturday near Camp Connell after departing on a snowshoe trip.

A ground search party representative flew with 129th crews while another followed the snowshoer’s path. The ground party eventually found the snowshoer and led him to a location where the helicopters could safely pick him up. The mountainous terrain was socked in with dense fog.

While helicopters hovered overhead, pararescuemen hoisted from the helicopters to the ground to pick up the snowshoer and the ground search party representative. The helicopters flew to Columbia Airport, Calif., where they landed and transferred the patient to an ambulance.

“Even while our Airmen were in the midst of a higher headquarters compliance inspection, rescue crews quickly launched a mission,” said Col. Amos Bagdasarian, 129th Rescue Wing Commander. “This is a testament to our outstanding training and dedication to our life saving mission.”

This rescue brings the total number of people saved by the 129th RQW to 908.

The primary mission of the 129th RQW is to train and be prepared to perform its wartime mission of combat search and rescue anywhere in the world. In addition to its wartime mission, the unit also works closely with the Coast Guard and various civil agencies on state missions.

More information about the unit is available at www.129rqw.ang.af.mil, www.twitter.com/129RQW, and www.facebook.com/129RQW.

Source: Capt. Alyson M. Teeter, ANG, Public Affairs Officer

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