NYPD Saves 2 West Point Cadets in Mountaintop Rescue

[cancidas]

from NY Post:

By BOB FREDERICKS
Last Updated: 11:20 AM, February 20, 2011
Heroic NYPD cops battled ferocious winds and sub-freezing temperatures as one was lowered from a hovering helicopter onto a mountaintop cliff early today to rescue two near-dead West Point cadets who’d gotten stranded in the dead of night after wandering away from their unit during a training exercise.

The amazing death-defying rescue took place about 2:30 a.m. atop Storm King Mountain several miles north of the United States Military Academy at a time temperatures had plunged to 18 degrees and winds were gusting as high as 50 mph.

more here: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/n...UXRvk8IgjQGdsJ

huge kudos to my good friend mike for a job well done and finally getting his name in the papers. that's why we do the things we do!

[Nick]

Well done! It appears the other pilot was a fellow crew chief's father.

[emshighway]

I was kind of surprised NYPD went up to West Point when NYSP Aviation was on station. Glad it all worked out.

[Gerard]

I was kind of surprised NYPD went up to West Point when NYSP Aviation was on station. Glad it all worked out.

NYPD Aviation is 24/7 and are trained for these types of rescues. More than likely the State PD ship on station was their smaller Bell 407 working out of Stewart Airport. With many agencies shutting down overnite ops NYPD is the go-to Agency for off hour rescues like this. SCPD I believe is 24/7 but mainly for medevacs/patrol while NCPD shutsdown overnite but do have a callback system (an hour?) in case of a major emergency. NYPD Aviation along with ESU practice hoist rescues regularly and are ready to go when needed.
From what I read this was one incredible job by all involved. Think about it: middle of the night, mountain top, frigid winds howling up to 30MPH and they had to do two seperate hoists.
Nice job!!!

[emshighway]

NYPD Aviation is 24/7 and are trained for these types of rescues. More than likely the State PD ship on station was their smaller Bell 407 working out of Stewart Airport. With many agencies shutting down overnite ops NYPD is the go-to Agency for off hour rescues like this. SCPD I believe is 24/7 but mainly for medevacs/patrol while NCPD shutsdown overnite but do have a callback system (an hour?) in case of a major emergency. NYPD Aviation along with ESU practice hoist rescues regularly and are ready to go when needed.
From what I read this was one incredible job by all involved. Think about it: middle of the night, mountain top, frigid winds howling up to 30MPH and they had to do two seperate hoists.
Nice job!!!

Really?? I've only been in the old Huey a few times for medevacs... and only trained with Aviation and ESU

Surprised NYSP or WPD didn't jump on this and try to grab the glory. Unfortunately if this went bad there would have been an outcry why they were out of the city.

[cancidas]

Unfortunately if this went bad there would have been an outcry why they were out of the city.

yeah, can't please them all. are the NYSP birds even equipped for such missions? i've only seen their bell 430s and 407s and have to say to fly into those kind of conditions and pull out 2 people i'd much rather have a nice heavy 412 myself.

[NYCA News]

NYCAviation:

NYPD Helicopter Performs Daring Mountain Rescue of West Point Cadets

Two West Point cadets were rescued by a police chopper early Sunday morning off an 18-inch-wide ledge on New York's Storm King Mountain.
[Click to Read Full Article]

[Nick]

Sounds like the hoist was necessary for this rescue. Is NYSP so equipped?

[Gerard]

Really?? I've only been in the old Huey a few times for medevacs... and only trained with Aviation and ESU
Surprised NYSP or WPD didn't jump on this and try to grab the glory. Unfortunately if this went bad there would have been an outcry why they were out of the city.

Mmmm showing your age there!! NYPD havent flown the Hueys in 20 years or so!! The twin engine 412s replaced those bad boys!!
Westchester PD have a Bell 407 and the State PD do have some of their 430s equipped with hoists but not even sure who they have to man/work them.
And I have to say, after watching/buffing/spotting law enforcement helicopters ops in the Tri-State area for many years now I dont find a "grabbing the glory" attitude with these units. There is no battle of the badges here and I've found that all the units have a great working relationship and wont hesitate to ask for mutual aid if needed. And that includes the USCG.
Remember PD and CG used to be neighbors at Floyd Bennett for many many years.
And talking about the USCG, when they moved to Atlantic City years ago their response time to our area for water rescues increased so this gave PD more responsibilty. And USCG are 24/7 and are hoist equipped but with the ships in Atlantic City or the Jayhawks up in Cape Cod NYPD had the quickest response time. And Nick, is the 106th Rescue Wing 24/7? Those PaveHawks would be great for something like what happened the other night.

[Gerard]

yeah, can't please them all. are the NYSP birds even equipped for such missions? i've only seen their bell 430s and 407s and have to say to fly into those kind of conditions and pull out 2 people i'd much rather have a nice heavy 412 myself.

Some of the 430s have hoists and I believe some of the 407s may have them but it comes down to how much they train on them and who works them? Would you rather have a highly
trained ESU officer and Aviation Crew Chief operating the machinery or someone who maybe does it occasionally?

[emshighway]

Mmmm showing your age there!! NYPD havent flown the Hueys in 20 years or so!! The twin engine 412s replaced those bad boys!!
And talking about the USCG, when they moved to Atlantic City years ago their response time to our area for water rescues increased so this gave PD more responsibilty. And USCG are 24/7 and are hoist equipped but with the ships in Atlantic City or the Jayhawks up in Cape Cod NYPD had the quickest response time. And Nick, is the 106th Rescue Wing 24/7? Those PaveHawks would be great for something like what happened the other night.

Yep, it's been a while. I remember I was sent to a dust off across from Elmhurst Hospital in the playground (where the parking garage is now). The basketball players were pissed we cleared the court. As the Huey idled, I told the players to go ahead and play but I wouldn't try to dunk the ball.
I also had one at a school yard on Atlantic Avenue after am ice storm (an amputation) and I guided the chopper in (yea, let the Lieutenant do it ), Well he came down on an angle and began to slide on the ice. It wasn't too easy backpedaling on the ice.
I never got why the USCG moved out leaving the city so open. Like you said I guess they gave up the city to the NYPD and go more for ocean jobs.

[Gerard]

Yep, it's been a while. I remember I was sent to a dust off across from Elmhurst Hospital in the playground (where the parking garage is now). The basketball players were pissed we cleared the court. As the Huey idled, I told the players to go ahead and play but I wouldn't try to dunk the ball.
I also had one at a school yard on Atlantic Avenue after am ice storm (an amputation) and I guided the chopper in (yea, let the Lieutenant do it ), Well he came down on an angle and began to slide on the ice. It wasn't too easy backpedaling on the ice.
I never got why the USCG moved out leaving the city so open. Like you said I guess they gave up the city to the NYPD and go more for ocean jobs.

Yup some great stories there. When AU procured those Hueys from the aircraft graveyard they refurbished them from top to bottom and went into the Air/Sea Rescue business
big time flying medevac missions left and right. And they would land them in parks and streets anywhere in the city!! Nowadays medevacs like that are few and far between. Not
sure if its because there are trauma centers in every boro or since the FDNY took over EMS ops they arent PD-helo friendly.
I remember when CGAS Brookyn closed there was huge outcry from locals and politicos about the safety of swimmers and boaters in this area. But that didnt sway the govt and they
made a point of mentioning that PD Aviation can help fill the time gap. The official version is that the responsibilities of Air Station Brooklyn and AS Cape May overlapped in the region so they decided to consolidate into Air Station Atlantic City which opened in May of 1998.

[gonzalu]

http://www.troopers.state.ny.us/spec...ices/Aviation/

http://www.troopers.state.ny.us/spec...ent_Equipment/

[Gerard]

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/...tml?r=ny_local