A North Carolina Wing aircrew helped locate an injured hiker March 11 along the Blue Ridge Parkway, where the man had slipped and fallen down a mountainside.
Responding to state Emergency Management’s request for an aircraft with FLIR capabilities, the aircrew conducted the search near the border of Jackson and Haywood counties. The aircrew spotted a light on a nearby mountainside about the time searchers on the ground heard the hiker calling for help.
North Carolina Highway Patrol Aviation hoisted the man from the site, after which he was flown to a local hospital.
The aircrew consisted of:
Lt. Col. Carlisle Lincoln, Group 1 commander — mission pilot
1st Lt. John D. Reed, wing director of finance — thermal imaging systems operator
Maj. Scott Stevens, Asheville Composite Squadron leadersip officer — mission observer
Maj. Matt Chirik, North Carolina Wing director of emergency services and incident commander for the mission, cited the wing’s “strong relationship with North Carolina Emergency Management that allowed for a rapid response using specialized equipment and communications interoperability. Our members had a swift response once notified and worked together in support of the incident command team from Jackson County.”
Chirik also lauded Maj. Bill Reed, the wing’s assistant director of emergency services for training, for his work planning and working with the aircrew to help ensure the mission’s success._____Capt. Glenda EngstromPublic Affairs OfficerNorth Carolina Wing
_____Capt. Glenda EngstromPublic Affairs OfficerNorth Carolina Wing
