Alaska Army National Guard’s G Company, 2nd Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment, and medical personnel from the Fairbanks Fire Department rescued a man in urgent need of medical care 10 miles southwest of Anderson Jan. 2.
Alaska Air National Guard Maj. Kevin Kelly, Alaska Rescue Coordination Center deputy director, said the Alaska State Troopers requested support from the AKRCC in transporting a distressed man during severe weather. The AST required assistance from the AKARNG because of its capabilities flying in high winds using night vision goggles.
The man’s residence is accessible only through a trail commonly traversed by snow machines, with his own inoperable because of the freezing temperatures. Two days without power, failing generators and an extreme snowstorm inhibited his ability to use his oxygen tank supply or access medical care.