National Guard aircrew rescue a bear attack victim

By Marshall Benson

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    KNOXVILLE, Tennessee (WSMV) — The Tennessee Army National Guard announced that a medical flight crew performed an air evacuation after a camper was attacked and injured by a bear while sleeping in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park on June 18th.

The Tennessee National Guard said that shortly before 7am, they were notified of a camper in distress at a backcountry campsite 5.7 miles away from the Maddron Bald Trailhead. The man required immediate medical care, and the Tennessee National Guard sent a helicopter rescue to the man’s location.

The helicopter crew arrived at the campsite around 8:45am where the crew performed hoist operations since the terrain was too difficult for a landing.

They said a medical assessment was performed with Park Rangers who performed initial medical care.

Once hoisted into the helicopter, they departed for the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville. Hoisting and rescue were completed in 14 minutes.

This is the third search and rescue mission the Tennessee National Guard has performed this year so far.

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