Injured hiker rescued from Sonoma County beach by helicopter crew member “scared of heights”
By Carlos E. Castañeda
A hiker who suffered an injury along a steep section of coastline in Sonoma County over the weekend had to be evacuated by helicopter in a rescue recorded on a flight officer’s body-worn camera, which also captured a bit of levity during the tense operation.
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office posted a video of the Sunday afternoon rescue at Pinnacle Beach south of Bodega Bay on social media, which showed the flight officer’s perspective from his helmet camera. The Sheriff’s Office said that its helicopter was on routine patrol in the area when dispatchers reported a hiker who had injured her ankle along a secluded section of the coastline. The incoming tides, rocky terrain, and distance to the nearest trail made hiking out unsafe, the office said.
The helicopter landed on a small stretch of the beach and dropped off a paramedic, while a crew from the Sonoma County Fire District hiked in. They stabilized the woman’s injury while the helicopter flew to a nearby bluff, where the tactical flight officer configured the helicopter with a 100-foot rope and attached himself to it.
The video then showed the flight officer dangling from the rope as he was flown back to the scene, where he attached the stabilized hiker and the paramedic to the rope. As the helicopter hoisted them up together, the flight officer tried to ease the hiker’s anxiety.
“How are you doing?” the officer asked her.
“I’m terrified,” the hiker replied.
“Oh, hey, open your eyes, it’s beautiful,” the officer responded as the helicopter rose above the beach in the late afternoon sun. “No reason to be terrified.”
The officer added, “I’m scared of heights, too.”
“No way!” the hiker responded, cracking a smile.
“I’m dead serious,” he responded. “Actually, I’m afraid of ladders. That’s why I can never be a firefighter.”
The helicopter landed where an ambulance was awaiting nearby, and the hiker was taken to a hospital for treatment to her ankle.
The Sheriff’s Office said the rescue operation was smooth and safe, adding in the post caption that “yes, the TFO really is scared of ladders.”
