WATCH: Stretcher Spins Wildly Out of Control in Viral Video of Botched Helicopter Rescue
WILD HELICOPTER RESCUE: Firefighters say a 74-year-old woman had to be flown off of Piestewa Peak this morning after she suffered an injury while hiking.
STORY: https://t.co/H4HavJnsgn pic.twitter.com/2FPQR0qiZ9
— FOX 10 Phoenix (@FOX10Phoenix) June 4, 2019
A woman in her 70s was injured while hiking Piestewa Peak in Arizona. While a helicopter attempted an airlift to get her off the mountain, the stretcher began spinning wildly out of control.
Phoenix Fire Department Capt. Kenny Overton said the spinning was caused by turbulence from both the wind and the helicopter’s propellers, but also a line used in the rescue that should have kept the stretcher stable malfunctioned.
Overton said rescue malfunctions such as this are rare, but not unseen, according to AZ Central.
The woman was successfully hoisted and transported to a hospital, where she remains in stable condition. She suffered no major effects from her tumultuous ride, other than dizziness and nausea.
Footage of the ordeal was captured by local television news helicopters.
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