Members of the Alaska Army National Guard rescued two hikers from a trail in the Hatcher Pass area this week after one of them was injured, authorities said.
Alaska State Troopers received a report about the distressed hikers on the Gold Mint Trail just after noon Tuesday, the Alaska Army National Guard said in a statement. One of the hikers had been injured and wasn’t able to walk, and the hikers used a satellite communication device to request help, according to troopers spokesman Austin McDaniel.
Troopers asked the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center for assistance, which in turn tapped the guard. Snow coverage in the area made it more likely that a “hoist rescue” would be needed, the guard said in its statement Wednesday.
The guard’s G Company, 2nd Battalion, 211th General Support Aviation Battalion responded with a helicopter. Poor weather made finding the two hikers more difficult, but the pair were able to communicate with the rescue coordination center with their satellite device, according to the guard.
The helicopter landed about 50 yards from the hikers, who were around Mile 7 of Gold Mint Trail, McDaniel said. The pair were taking to a hospital in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough on Tuesday afternoon.
McDaniel said he didn’t have additional information about how the hiker was injured, but that the injuries appeared to be non-life-threatening.