According to a statement release by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department, at about 11:45 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 24 a call was received about an injured pig hunter in the area of 4160 Shaina Road outside of Healdsburg.
The Sheriff’s Department helicopter “Henry-One” was dispatched to the area and made contact with the man’s son, who had hiked out to get cell service. He reported that his father, a 71-year-old man from Vallejo had fallen 200 feet down a ravine and was unable to get out.
According to the statement, the deputy, along with medical personnel from Sonoma Life Support and firefighters from Healdsburg Fire and Cal Fire, hiked with the man for about one mile. They traversed down a steep ravine to reach the injured man and determined he had multiple broken bones and wasn’t able to get out on his own.
“He had broken ribs and other broken bones and wasn’t able to move,” said Sergeant Spencer Crum.
Carrying the man out of the steep ravine was deemed to be too dangerous to the first responders and the injured man, but the canopy was too dense to long line a rescuer into the ravine and transport out by helicopter.
Crews from Cal Fire brought in chainsaws and cut down three trees to make a hole in the canopy just big enough so that “Henry-One” pilot Paul Bradley could lower a paramedic down to the injured man. There, they secured the man to a stretcher and were able to fly him up to a nearby field.
“I’ve never heard of it being done before, it’s a creative solution by the firefighters on scene to make the hole big enough to land the medic through the trees,” Crum said. “It was a creative rescue and showed good team work by all involved.”
Crum said the man’s injuries were so severe that they secured him inside the helicopter and flew him to the trauma center at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. There are no current updates on his condition.
“Its just one of those freak accidents,” Crum said. “He did everything right; he was hunting with a friend with a cell phone. Unfortunately, he lost his footing and tumbled down the ravine. He son described it as ‘ass over teakettle’ and when you’ve got a 71-year-old rolling ass over teakettle, you’ll have significant medical concerns about his condition.
“Just be careful where you go and how you do it, because they did everything right and had a freak accident,” Crum concluded.
