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GARFIELD COUNTY — This past weekend, Utah's Department of Public Safety's search and rescue team was involved in several missions this past weekend, including the one in Garfield County where they rescued a hiker stuck for four days with a broken leg. And that's just the start of the warmer season.
They're busy during the winter with lost skiers and snowmobilers. When it heats up, a lot of people head into the backcountry to go hiking and camping. Some get lost or hurt and when they do, there's a good chance these guys will get a call.
With as busy as Utah's search and rescue helicopter was this past weekend, with over six missions, it was time for maintenance and then to get it back going as quickly as possible.
"It's critical in the search and rescue mission," said Terry Mercer, a Pilot with the UDPS. He's been doing it for over 20 years and knows it's about to get real busy.
"They're getting spring fever, and they want to get out and start hiking," Mercer said.
That's what Victoria Grover was doing last week when she fell, broke her leg, and was stuck.
"We were riding a high for a while on this one," said Aaron Beesley, a Utah Highway patrol Tactical Flight Officer. "We felt like we contributed to her rescue."
Some missions are quite daring. Three years ago, Mercer landed on a narrow rock pinnacle in Washington County to rescue a hiker and made news across the country.
"The pictures were much more dramatic than the landing," Mercer said.
Now, Mercer is helping to train Utah's newest pilot, Shane Oldfield, who just started this past Monday. Oldfield knows he has big shoes to fill.
"(I am) coming into a very established organization. I just hope that I can keep up the tradition," Oldfield said.
This team can be going almost every day in the spring and summer. But that's also what makes the job exciting.
"That's really what it's all about, is trying to make a difference, you know. One life at a time, really," mercer said. This team travels to counties all across Utah. They've looked at their numbers and say they save roughly 10-15 people a year who would not have lived if not for the helicopter being able to find and rescue them.
