Maryland State Police Helicopter Crew Rescues Injured Person Who Fell Off Cliff In Frederick County

(FREDERICK COUNTY, MD) – A Maryland State Police helicopter crew rescued an injured man who fell off a cliff behind a residence Thursday evening in Frederick County.

Around 10 p.m. yesterday, Maryland State Police Aviation Command (MSPAC) was requested to assist Frederick County Sheriff’s Office deputies with the extrication of an injured person who fell 30-40 feet off a sheer cliff behind a residence in Keymar, Maryland. Trooper 3, based at the Frederick Municipal Airport, responded to the scene.

While on the scene, deputies from the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office rendered first aid to the victim, and advanced tactical rescue members safely and successfully extricated the victim from the steep creekside terrain onto a small landing at the base of the cliff. Based on the patient’s condition, terrain and the extended extrication time, Trooper 3 was requested to perform an aerial rescue of the victim.

Pilots maneuvered the Augusta AW-139 helicopter into a steady 80-foot hover above the terrain, while a state trooper/flight paramedic was lowered below. The trooper/paramedic obtained the report from fire/EMS personnel, assessed the victim, and secured him into a PEP (Patient Extraction Platform) bag. While maintaining its 80-foot hover, the crew of Trooper 3 safely hoisted the patient and the state trooper into the aircraft. Once in the aircraft, Trooper 3 transitioned into a medevac role and transported the patient to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore for treatment of his injuries.

The Maryland State Police Aviation Command has served Maryland citizens since 1970 and operates a fleet of ten (10) helicopters from seven (7) bases throughout Maryland on a 24/7/365 basis. Missions include medevac, law enforcement, search & rescue, homeland security, and disaster assessment. The success of rescues performed by the Aviation Command depends a great deal on the cooperative effort of local fire, rescue, EMS, and law enforcement agencies.

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CONTACT: First Sergeant Jeffrey Leppert, Assistant Commander, MSPAC Western Region, jeffrey.leppert@maryland.gov, 301-663-5742