The New Mexico State Police (NMSP) Aviation Division rescued two people hurt while hiking near Embudo Trailhead.
At roughly 5 p.m. on March 27, 2024, the crew of the NMSP Aircraft Section in Albuquerque launched from Double Eagle Airport to conduct a hoist rescue in the Sandia Mountains in Bernalillo County.
A National Mountain Safety Program search and rescue coordinator stated that a rockslide had occurred near the Embudo Trail Head in the Sandia Mountains. Three persons were injured during the rockslide. One of the subjects had a head injury and lost consciousness for a short time, the second subject had an open fracture in their leg, and the third subject had a sprained ankle.
The rescue crews on the ground were requesting the assistance of ABLE#
ABLE 7 arrived on the scene and began coordinating with the ground crews of the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department Search and Rescue Unit. ABLE 7 was a paramedic and two tactical flight officers (TFO). Two paramedics and a Tactical Flight Officer (TFO) were lifted to the ground by one of the life safety lines. The other TFO was on board the helicopter to receive the wounded patients as they were lifted.
A little while later, the patients with the head injury and leg injury were lifted into the helicopter and airlifted to the landing zone, and then offloaded into an ambulance where they were then transported to a certain area hospital. The patient with the ankle injury was escorted out by search and rescue crews. The patients’ ailments are unknown.