Injured Hiker Rescued By Helicopter At Sugarloaf Mountain

DICKERSON, MD — An injured hiker who fell down the side of a cliff at Sugarloaf Mountain was rescued by a Maryland State Police helicopter Monday afternoon.

Aviation troopers were dispatched to the mountain in Dickerson at about 3 p.m.

The pilots maneuvered their AW-139 helicopter into position 80 feet above a small rock, outcropping at an elevation of 1,200 feet mean sea level, police said.

A trooper was lowered to the scene to assess the patient and coordinate extrication with arriving ground providers.

The patient was stabilized and packaged with the assistance of emergency personnel who had hiked into the rugged terrain to gain access to the patient.

An aerial extraction was required due to the austere and remote location. The trooper accompanied the injured hiker back up to the aircraft, and the patient was transported to Meritus Medical Center in Washington County while receiving advanced medical care from Trooper 3’s crew.

"This mission is a testament to the recent training conducted in aerial rescue operations as a joint effort with the Maryland State Police Aviation Command and Frederick County Advanced Technical Rescue Team," Maryland State Police said in a statement.

The flight crew was assisted by the Hyattstown Volunteer Fire Department, Carroll Manor Fire Department, Urbana Fire Department, Upper Montgomery County Fire Department, and the Frederick County Advanced Technical Rescue Team based out of Independent Hose Company.