Montana Army National Guardsmen rescued three hikers this weekend from the Princess Lake area of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness.
The National Guard said in a Thursday news release that a HH60M Blackhawk medical evacuation helicopter from the Guard's 1-189th General Support Aviation Battalion flew out of Billings Sunday for the rescue.
The crew received a request Sunday morning for assistance to help the hikers, who were suffering from hypothermia and other illness.
The three were recovered and take to Columbus for medical care. The helicopter was back in Billings by 9:20 a.m.
The crew onboard the aircraft included pilots Chief Warrant Officer 3 Zach Lundgren and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Cameron Olson, hoist operator Sgt. Sydney Stephenson, hoist rider Sgt. Justin Asher and flight medic Sgt. Patrick Northrup. Billings Fire Department Paramedic Rob Gersbach provided additional on-board medical support.
Montana Army Air National Guard helicopters have conducted five rescue operations this year from Billings. Since the facility began operations in Billings in January 2023, rescues have included a hunter stranded on an island in the Yellowstone River in December 2023 and a hiker who suffered a heart attack and was rescued near Albino Lake in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness in July 2024.
