On May 27, 2007, for the first time in its history, the US Coast Guard successfully performed a mountain rescue operation at more than 6,800 feet with a HH-65C Dolphin.

At quarter to eight in the evening, the US Coast Guard receives an emergency call about a 64-year-old man who has been injured at the summit of Brother Mountain in Port Angeles, Washington. The mountain is 6,800 feet high, and there has never been a rescue operation at such a high altitude with a HH-65 Dolphin. It is going to be a dangerous mission for the four-man crew: lieutenants Dan Leary, pilot, and Christian Polyak, co-pilot, along with John Linnborn and Mike Cook, both of whom are specialists for rescue strop operations. And the clock is ticking: the team has to hurry to rescue the victim before nightfall. The helicopter takes off within minutes and heads to the snow-covered mountains. On the way to the scene, the crew discusses how best to rescue the victim: should they lower a stretcher, or use the rescue strop?

A dangerous mission
Given the circumstances, the crew opts for the rescue strop to keep the operation moving quickly. John Linnborn is lowered toward the victim, and everyone has to concentrate on his own part of the mission. The pilot, who is directly above the victim, cannot see what is going on beneath him and needs to depend on Linnborn’s signals. The injured man is afraid of not being rescued and hoping that nothing will happen to the helicopter. The rescuer wants to carry out the operation as quickly as possible and is worried that the wind will put him and the victim at risk as they are hoisted up again. The co-pilot also wonders whether the crew can pull off this mission. Although they have been flying with the Dolphin since the 1980s, they have never performed a rescue operation at this altitude. In the end, everything runs smoothly. Once on the ground, J. Linnborn secures the victim and gives the pilot a signal when he’s ready to be pulled back up. A few moments later, everyone is safe and sound aboard the helicopter. “A year ago, we would not have been able to perform a rescue mission at that altitude,” says the pilot once the mission is over. “The Dolphin’s new engine has given it the power we need for such missions. It marks the beginning of a new era. From now on, rescue missions in mountainous areas will be possible.”