Washington loosing some rescue helicopters

www.kingcountyjournal.com/sited/story/html/203741 <br><br>"Mike Gauthier, head climbing ranger at Mount Rainier National Park, said the park will be hit doubly hard this summer.<br><br>MAST helicopters aren't the primary rescuer in the park, he said. MAST helicopters operate under 9,000 feet while many of the more serious rescues occur above 11,000 feet. MAST, however, is used for serious off-road traffic accidents and other dangerous searches and rescues involving backpackers.<br><br>Gauthier said the park already lost the Fort Lewis-based Army Reserve Chinook helicopters. They left two years ago for war zones and have only recently returned but not to mountain rescue. Chinooks can fly to 14,000 feet and are large enough to land a part of rescuers on the summit. <br><br>Since the Chinooks left, he said the park has used Oregon National Guard's more powerful Blackhawk helicopters. But they are based in Salem and the extra hours of flight time to Mount Rainier and can hurt a rescue attempt, he added."