US Forest Service pilot hikes to safety after helicopter crash near central Idaho wildfire

The pilot of a helicopter that was responding to a small wildfire in central Idaho before crashing in the Sawtooth National Forest survived and was able to hike to a waiting ambulance, officials said.

“Our pilot was on board and survived, and an investigation is underway,” U.S. Forest Service spokesperson Angela Hawkins said Friday morning. She said the agency was unable to immediately release any additional information, including what role the helicopter had been taking in the wildfire response.

The Custer County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook that the pilot was able to call 911 and that he was able to hike out with assistance to an ambulance that responded from the nearby town of Stanley.

https://apnews.com/article/idaho-helicopter-crash-wildfire-redfish-lake-d7203258401f71583cc317dc6ba64530