Tucson, Ariz — For the third time in nine days, an Air and Marine Operations (AMO), Tucson Air Branch Black Hawk crew rescued an individual lost in the Baboquivari Mountains.
Early Tuesday morning, the AMO aircrew responded to a call from Tucson Sector Border Patrol, to search for a 911 caller lost in the Baboquivari Mountains. The aircrew located the individual and due to the mountainous terrain and lack of available landing zones, the crew elected to extract the subject using the rescue hoist. The 19 year old, undocumented alien was safely transported from the wilderness, and turned over to Border Patrol for processing.
On September 20, the Tucson Air Branch conducted an extraction, from the same mountain range, for a man suffering from dehydration, and again on September 22, the UH-60 crews located and extracted another 911 caller.
“Our aircrews have rescued 45 individuals this fiscal year,” said Michael Montgomery, Director, Air and Marine Operations at the Tucson Air Branch. “The temperatures in the Baboquivari Peak Wilderness Area can reach deadly highs, and then swing to dangerous lows. Our aircrews are diligent in their efforts to execute rescue missions despite risks to personal safety presented by terrain, weather, and potential illness carried by those they aim to save.”
The Tucson Air Branch is responsible for roughly 262 miles of border in Arizona. Overall, their entire area of responsibility encompasses nearly 90,690 square miles.
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