Sitka Search & Rescue and the US Coast Guard safely recovered a man who had become stranded on top of a local peak on Saturday afternoon.
Fire engineer Karl Muench says a 9-1-1 call came in just before 6 p.m. from a man who had summited Mt. Verstovia – known locally as Arrowhead Peak – and could not find the route down.
Given the late hour, Muench says 17 search and rescue volunteers mobilized on the possibility that the man would have to be brought down the peak. State troopers informed the Coast Guard of the situation, and Air Station Sitka subsequently launched a rescue helicopter with three Sitka SAR members on board.
Once on scene, the helicopter was unable to land, so a Coast Guard rescue swimmer was lowered to assist the man into a basket, and he was hoisted aboard for a ride back to the airport.
Muench says the circumstances of the rescue aren’t that unusual. Responders encourage everyone who uses mountain trails to carefully consider all conditions, and whether or not to climb in areas that may be unsafe – or impossible – to come down.
