Hiker stranded in freezing Arizona mountains until helicopter swoops in, video shows
A hiker stranded in the frigid Arizona mountains was rescued after being stuck since the day prior, officials said.
The Australian man was rescued by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection aircrew from the “Huachuca Mountains south of Sierra Vista” on Friday, Feb. 24, CBP said in a Feb. 27 news release.
The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office requested help after it could not find the man who was “stuck in mountainous terrain in freezing temperatures” Thursday, Feb. 23, according to the release.
CPB said it couldn’t send an aircrew Thursday evening because of the weather.
Instead, the Tucson Air Branch sent a UH-60 aircrew the following day to hoist the man from the area, according to CPB. Rescuers took the man to awaiting deputies and first responders.
“Our crews are the best at what they do. They are highly skilled and go above and beyond to ensure the best outcomes for everyone they encounter,” Norman Montgomery, director of the Tucson Air Branch, said in the release. “This could have been a tragic fatal outcome if not for the diligence of the agents.”
Sierra Vista is about 80 miles southeast of Tuscon.
This story was originally published March 1, 2023 at 12:34 PM with the headline "Hiker stranded in freezing Arizona mountains until helicopter swoops in, video shows."
