A state police helicopter crew rescued five people from the Susquehanna Flats on Friday after an initial boat rescue attempt went awry.
The Trooper 6 helicopter crew deployed in an effort to locate a fire rescue boat that encountered trouble while on a rescue mission, according to a news release from the Maryland State Police.
Around 7:45 p.m., a group of waterfowl hunters requested the initial rescue after their boat began experiencing operational issues. Emergency crews from the Harford County Department of Emergency Services Special Operations unit, the Susquehanna Hose Company and a number of other agencies were able to locate the hunters about an hour after the initial request for emergency assistance. But the crew on the small rescue boat became stranded in shallow water and mud.
The four-person helicopter team from Trooper 6 located the boat with the three hunters and two rescuers aboard shortly before 9:20 p.m. As the crew from Trooper 6 was running low on fuel, they requested additional assistance for an aerial extraction of the people aboard from Trooper 1.
The two pilots flying Trooper 1 positioned the helicopter 100 feet above the hunters and rescuers. The chopper’s crew lowered a rescue basket to the side of the boat. Each person aboard the boat climbed in and was hoisted into the helicopter. All five people aboard the boat were successfully lifted into the aircraft, and taken National Guard Armory in Havre de Grace where the individuals for were evaluated for hypothermia.
A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter based out of Atlantic City, New Jersey was also dispatched to the scene, but the state police helicopter crew completed the rescue operation prior to their arrival.
The entire venture took roughly four hours. No injuries were reported.