CULBERSON COUNTY, Texas – A family of three, including a 3-month-old, were rescued by a Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter from a high mountain in West Texas after they ran into trouble during a hike.
According to a news release, the 23-year-old parents and their infant went for a hike around mid-morning on Aug. 20 at the Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Culberson County.
Around 3 p.m. and nine miles later, the family ran out of water and began experiencing signs of dehydration and heat exhaustion due to high temperatures.
Park rangers alerted DPS, which dispatched a Pilatus PC-12 airplane to search for the distressed family.
The aerial crew quickly located the family on the mountain, and DPS then sent an Airbus H-125 helicopter to help in the rescue.
A Tactical Flight Officer was deployed from the helicopter to perform a medical assessment on the family. The officer determined that a hoist rescue operation was the best course of action for their safety.
The family was hoisted into the chopper and transported down the mountain where ground rescue teams provided medical care.