YAVAPAI COUNTY, AZ (AZFamily) — Central Arizona search and rescue crews started the New Year with a dramatic overnight rescue.
Just before 6 p.m. on Jan. 1, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO) received a call of an injured hiker on Bumble Bee Road, which is just east of Interstate 17 near Black Canyon City.
Crews arrived and found that a 55-year-old man had fallen from a ledge, causing a serious leg injury, YCSO said.
The challenges were just beginning for the rescue crew and injured hiker. The sheriff’s office said low temperatures and constant precipitation created a risk of hypothermia, with members of the team and the hiker already experiencing symptoms.
The search team stayed with the hiker into the night and maintained a fire to keep the group warm. YCSO said flooding in the area stopped any possibility of getting the hiker out by ground.
Weather conditions initially hindered air support, and multiple rescue attempts were aborted, according to the sheriff’s office. This led to YCSO contacting the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs to request a Blackhawk military helicopter.
A search team requested a Blackhawk helicopter to rescue a hiker from Bumble Bee Road after staying with him overnight, lighting a fire to stay warm.(YCSO)
With the assistance of the Blackhawk crew, the hiker was successfully rescued from the mountain around 7:45 a.m. on Friday and taken to medical personnel.
YCSO crews rescued two additional hikers on the evening of Jan. 1. One was at the Blue Tank Wash in Wickenburg, where a woman became lost. Crews were able to walk her back to her vehicle. The other was a lost hiker in Sedona, and he was also safely rescued.
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