Archive image: U.S. Air Force HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter aircrew assigned to the 210th Rescue Squadron, 176th Wing, Alaska Air National Guard, hoist a simulated downed pilot during a full mission profile training exercise at Malemute Drop Zone, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, March 31, 2026.
The training included search and rescue (SAR), high-altitude parachute drops, emergency medical response, personnel recovery, and rescue hoist.
Alaska National Guard photo by Alejandro Peña.
Story by David Bedard, Alaska National Guard
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska. – Alaska Air National Guard (AKANG) 176th Wing, 210th Rescue Squadron HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter aircrew conducted the rescue of a plane crash pilot (Cessna 185) near Trapper Joe Lake about 25 nautical miles south of Anchorage. August 9, 2026.
A 210th Rescue Squadron HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter aircrew with 212th Rescue Squadron Guardian Angel Pararescuemen (PJs) onboard was set to participate in the Arctic Thunder Open House Joint Force Demonstration when the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center (AKRCC) at JBER received the Cessna’s 406 MHz Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) signal from the vicinity of Trapper Joe Lake.
Maj. Natasha Sanders, 176th Wing search and rescue (SAR) duty officer during the open house, said the 406 ELT had an up-to-date registration, so AKRCC controllers were able to quickly determine who the pilot was, and they contacted the spouse who confirmed the pilot was scheduled to be flying the single-engine floatplane.
The HH-60W Jolly Green II aircrew and its two assigned PJs comprised the immediate response posture aircrew prepared to rescue U.S. Navy Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron pilots if there was a mishap.
“The IRP crew was already in their seats doing communications checks, and they were able to fly a departure, which would keep them deconflicted from the airshow traffic,” Sanders said. “Additionally, the Blue Angles weren’t scheduled to fly their demonstration for another couple of hours, so I was confident with the information flowing from the RCC that we could execute the mission and return in time to support the Blue Angles’ demonstration. However, as a contingency, I activated the [tailored response posture] crew to maintain rescue response capability if the HH-60W was delayed.”
Master Sgt. Harry Bromley, a 212th RQS PJ flying his last rescue before retiring, said the helicopter was configured for another mission, dropping its gear-mounted skis that help it stay afloat on soft muskeg terrain.
Vectoring in on the 406’s coordinates, the HH-60W Jolly Green II rescue aircrew quickly found the wreckage.
“We landed in a really marshy spot, and so Jolly had to keep power in to not get the helicopter stuck,” Bromley said. “We found the crash site pretty fast. The Cessna 185 basically ran out of lake on floats and went into the trees. It was upside down, and the patient self-extricated.”
Bromley said the patient exhibited light injuries, but the rescue crew decided to transport him to Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage out of an abundance of caution.
“We basically grabbed him, walked him over to where the helo was, and then shut down his ELT, grabbed some of his personal effects and took him to Providence for further treatment,” the PJ said. “So, pretty straight forward rescue.”
Bromley said it was a landmark mission for him and for the crew, which included New York Air National Guard members of the 106th Rescue Wing.
“It was cool,” he said. “It was the first mission for an augmentee from the New York pararescue team, first mission for a special mission aviator augmentee from the New York helicopter squadron, and probably my last mission as a PJ wearing the uniform.”
AKRCC officials urge civilian pilots to maintain current registration information for their 406 ELT to expedite rescue efforts in case of an emergency. Additionally, emergency position-indicating radio beacons (EPIRB) and commercially available satellite two-way messaging devices can further expedite rescue operations for plane crash victims.
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