A Naval Air Station Patuxent River Search and Rescue helicopter crew completed an emergency airlift of a seriously injured patient to Baltimore April 29.

Around noon, the helicopter crew of Watchdog 777 received two calls for assistance in less than an hour. The flight crew launched initially for a distress call involving an overturned vessel near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, which was determined to be a false alarm, but then received an emergency medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) request while airborne from Calvert County Emergency Medical Services.

Station SAR Patuxent River's watchstander at the time, Hospitalman Dylan Garoutte, received information following a major traffic accident at the Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge -- that an injured patient needed emergency transport from Calvert Memorial Hospital to the University of Maryland R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.

Critical decisions were made quickly. Ground transport was considered to take too long, no other Maryland EMS helicopters were flying that day, and the Station SAR flight crew was already in the area. Thus, Cmdr. Tony Rojas, NAS Patuxent River air operations officer, made the decision to have the SAR helicopter perform the MEDEVAC.

The crew was already minutes from Calvert Memorial Hospital in Prince Frederick, Maryland, and diverted to land there immediately before receiving an initial report of the patient's condition. While on the hospital pad, the crew of Watchdog 777 embarked paramedic Chris Shannon from the Calvert Advanced Life Support service to support Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Albert Tran's efforts to stabilize and care for the patient -- who had suffered severe trauma and massive internal bleeding from a motor vehicle accident.

Tran's extensive experience as a SAR Medical Technician, combined with Shannon's advanced pre-hospital intervention, medication, and other equipment allowed the flight crew to render critical care. During the flight to Baltimore, they stabilized the patient and ultimately helped save his life.

Naval Aircrewman (Helicopter) 3rd Class John Byers, Watchdog 777 crew chief, and Tran alternated to perform rescue breathing for the patient while under the crew's care, directly impacting the patient's ability to stay alive. Every member involved in the MEDEVAC effort contributed to the lifesaving mission.

The patient suffered a number of traumatic injuries, including fractures to several bones in both legs and severe lacerations to internal organs. The ER staff at Calvert Memorial Hospital stated the patient had approximately 30 minutes remaining until he most certainly would have died from his injuries, were it not for the crew of Watchdog 777's and Shannon's quick action to airlift the patient to Baltimore.

On the heels of earning top marks in a recent annual Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic SAR Evaluation, the Station SAR unit was very proud to have served in this heroic mission.

"This is the most memorable mission we've performed in a long while at Patuxent River," said Lt. Ryan Pote, copilot on the flight.

"We train for these exact types of situations and others several times a week," added Naval Aircrewman (Helicopter) 1st Class John Kurack, rescue aircrewman on the flight.

Others on the crew highlighted the creed that drives them.

"Like most military rescue units who reference it, Station SAR Patuxent River embodies the often-used motto: 'That others may live,'" said Lt. Cmdr. Chris Rutland, mission aircraft commander.

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