HSC-25 crew members execute successful rescue over the weekend

A joint rescue effort unfolded over the weekend at San Carlos Falls.

The Guam Fire Department (GFD) and the Navy’s Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron-25 responded. 

On Saturday, GFD was called to a report of an injured hiker around 1 o’clock. A 39-year-old man was airlifted to the hospital. 

Lt Tyler Davidson, piloted the aircraft that day. 

He said, “This one was more of a challenging rescue for sure–mostly because you have rising terrain on either side, and it was kind of in a ravine where the waterfall is forming.  In addition to that, we had trees that were about 70 ft. high, I’d say. So, the challenge there is… in order to lift up the liter with the patient in it, we had to get below 120 ft.”  

Images of the response were posted on the @guamaircrewassociation Instagram. 

One photo showed children along the trail gazing up as the hiker was rescued. 

“There were a bunch of by-standers and viewers that were watching us as we were doing the rescue–some of them happened to be some younger children on a hike–so they got the pleasure of watching us be able to go through our rescue mission methods and successfully recover that patient,” said Crew Chief Andrew Weber. 

Another successful mission among more than two thousand others executed since 1984 by the HSC-25, the Navy’s only squadron that maintains a 24-hour search and rescue and medical evacuation alert, supporting the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Guam and the Joint Region Marianas. 

And a responsibility these men say they don’t take lightly. 

Lt Dan Huval said, “It’s really rewarding to be able to do the mission that we train for almost every day. We go out practicing these kinds of missions–so to be actually able to do it is one of the greatest feelings in the world–an honor to work with Guam fire rescue and help the locals here. It’s why I came to Guam.” 

And its one they’re proud to carry out. 

Lt Davidson added, “It is absolutely one of the most rewarding things we do on a regular basis out here. Just hearing those feel-good stories and being able to see it first-hand is a blessing."