CH-149 Cormorant helicopter.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/19 Wing Comox
July 14, 2017 - 3:23 PM
KELOWNA – A military helicopter was called in last night after search and rescue crews were unable to get a severly injured man off a mountain near Kelowna.
Central Okanagan Search and Rescue were called after a young man fell from a path alongside a cliff near the radio towers on Little White Mountain, according to a media release. A ground rescue team was dispatched to find the man and a helicopter crew was called.
Because of the forest fires, the only helicopter available was the Penticton Search and Rescue HETS team. The helicopter arrived after the sun set and there wasn't enough light for the crew to rescue the injured man.
At that point the ground team attempted to get him to a vehicle but due to the difficult terrain — and severity of his injury — the rescue managers decided to call the Canadian Armed Forces Rescue Squadron 442 for assistance. They are able to perform night extractions.
The miltary helicopter transported the victim to the Kelowna airport at about 1 a.m. and he was taken to Kelowna General Hospital in a waiting ambulance.
The victim's current condition hasn't been released.
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News from © iNFOnews, 2017