August 4th, 2025 by WCBC Radio

Maryland State Police Aviation Command (MSPAC) performed an aerial hoist rescue on Saturday after a rock climber was injured in West Virginia. On August 2, at approximately 2:20 p.m., rescue personnel from Pendleton County, WV, were dispatched to a remote area on Seneca Rocks for an injured person that fell while rock climbing. Due to the victim’s remote location, extended extrication time, and the nature of their injuries, Maryland State Police Aviation Command was requested to perform an aerial hoist rescue. Trooper 5, the MSP helicopter based in Cumberland, MD, was dispatched to the mission by the SYSCOM Duty Officer.

West Virginia rescue personnel and local emergency medical services personnel maintained patient care during ground operations. A Trooper/Rescue Technician was lowered down through a clearing in the trees, where the victim was prepared for aerial extraction via a Patient Extrication Platform (PEP) device.

Trooper 5 hovered over the steep terrain and successfully hoisted the victim to the aircraft. Once the victim was safely in the aircraft, the flight crew transitioned directly into a medevac role, transporting the patient to J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, WV, for further assessment and treatment. The flight crew of Trooper 5 utilized an Augusta Westland AW-139 helicopter to perform the rescue. The MSPAC has served since 1970 and operates a fleet of 10 AW139 helicopters from seven bases in Maryland. Each aircraft provides round-the-clock coverage to Maryland residents and visitors. The agency’s missions include medevac, law enforcement, search and rescue, homeland security and disaster assessment. The success of the missions relies heavily on the cooperative efforts of local fire, rescue, EMS, law enforcement agencies and partner agencies.