Members of the four-person Seahawk crew reported minor injuries, but they and the hiker were off the mountain within 12 hours
Marines from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 were in Yuma, Arizona, supporting the Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course in mid-October when they officially got tasked with retrieving the Navy helicopter
Before the Marines could remove the Seahawk from the mountain, they had to do a site survey
Complicating these efforts was the remote location of the mishap site, which could be reached on foot only by hiking uphill for five miles
The road to get to the trailhead was under construction, so the team had access to it for only 20 minutes each morning and evening.
The Forest Service contributed pack mules to haul heavier equipment up the mountain
The King Stallion, which can externally carry up to 27,000 pounds for 110 nautical miles, is part of the Marine Corps’ plan for hauling Marines, heavy equipment and supplies from ship to shore. It’s the most powerful helicopter in the U.S. military, according to Naval Air Systems Command.
Back when the King Stallion was still in the test and evaluation phase, in September 2021, it executed a remarkably similar mission to the one in October: After a Navy Seahawk experienced a hard landing in the California mountains while attempting to rescue a lost hiker, a King Stallion transported the downed Navy helo to a nearby airport.
Solution, make a law that hikers are to post a billion dollar bond in escrow for their mishaps and rescues, becuase the military budget was not padded to cover helicopter rescues of broke loners on remote mountains with weak ankles
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