Injured Hiker Airlifted by Helicopter, Mount Chase, Maine

It’s truly amazing how rescue crews keep people safe. This is one of the situations where a helicopter lifts an injured hiker off a steep mountain side, and it all happened right here in Maine.

The Maine Forest Rangers, Maine Game Wardens, plus a paramedic from the Old Town Fire-Rescue and an EMT from the Patten Ambulance rescued 27-year old hiker Jinni-Mae Campbell by helicopter off Mount Chase on Monday afternoon.

Officials said the hiker had a possible broken leg in a steep area of the terrain and needed help with a short-haul rescue. The rescue happened around 2:30 p.m. on August 9, 2021.

The pilot from the Maine Forest Rangers used a suspended line from the helicopter to lower a Maine Forest Ranger and an Old Tow Fire-Rescue paramedic to the injured hiker. EMTs were already on sight assisting the victim, said authorities.

Once the patient was ready, the helicopter lifted the hiker off the steep slope of the mountain. The two rescuers and the hiker flew below the helicopter on the suspended line to a Patten ambulance.

The hiker was transported by ambulance to the Houlton Regional Hospital.

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It takes a really coordinated effort to get someone off a mountain safely and these crews came together to do it. It takes great expertise to handle all aspects of bringing in a chopper and the knowledge and skill to reach an injured hiker. It also takes a lot of courage and confidence to train for such an incident and carry it out in a real emergency situation.