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Troopers made a bold rescue at approximately 11 a.m. on Thursday, April 13, when they were called to assist in a near daylong search and rescue effort after an elderly man became disoriented and injured, officials said.
According to police, an 82-year-old man - who has not been identified by authorities - was found in a ravine of densely forested area north of the Cheat River on Thursday morning following a 14-hour search after he went missing out of Preston County, near the Maryland border.
First responders in West Virginia were ultimately able to track down the hiker after a lengthy search, though they were unable to reach him due to the steep terrain and dense forestry, prompting a call to Maryland State Police.
"The crew from Trooper 5, based out of the Cumberland Section, was requested for an aerial hoist mission due to the man’s location, the surrounding topography, an extended extrication time and the nature of his injuries," state police said. "West Virginia rescue personnel initiated patient care and stabilized the man."
Then things got tricky.
A state police crew based out of Cumberland responded to the scene once the hiker was treated and stabilized by first responders, while the helicopter hovered approximately 215 feet above the treelined.
A trooper was lowered out of the helicopter, and with an assistant from West Virginia first responders, were able to secure the 82-year-old man. The two were then hoisted back to the aircraft, at which point, police say that the incident transitioned to a "medevac role," and he was flown to the J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia, for treatment and evaluation.
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