At about 11:45 AM the Sonoma County Sheriff’s helicopter “Henry-One” was dispatched to the area of 4160 Shaina Rd outside of Healdsburg on a report of an injured pig hunter.
When they arrived they found a man standing next to a Jeep. They landed and a deputy got out of the helicopter to contact the man. The man told the deputy that while hunting with his father, his father fell about 200 feet down a ravine, injuring his hip and was unable to get out.
The deputy, along with medical personnel from Sonoma Life Support and firefighters from Healdsburg Fire and Cal Fire, hiked with the man for about one mile. They traversed down a steep ravine to reach the injured 71-year-old Vallejo man. They determined the man had multiple broken bones and wasn’t able to get out on his own. Carrying the man out of the steep ravine was deemed to be too dangerous to the first responders and the injured man.
The canopy was too dense to long line a rescuer into the ravine and transport out by helicopter. Crews from Cal Fire brought in chain saws and cut down three trees which made a hole in the canopy just big enough so that pilot, Paul Bradley could lower a paramedic down to the injured man. There, they secured the man to a stretcher and were able to fly him up to a nearby field.
The man’s injuries were so severe that they secured him inside the helicopter and flew him to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.
CR 170924-012
Prepared BY: Sgt. Spencer Crum
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