Helicopter rescue above Bartholomew Park

UPDATED STORY
An incapacitated woman was lifted by helicopter out of a remote ravine above 18000 Old Winery Road on July 3, in a daring rescue operation that required the Sheriff’s helicopter to thread a 100-foot line into a clearing surrounded by oak trees. The 47-year-old woman was then transferred to an ambulance and taken to Sonoma Valley Hospital.
The victim’s family members believed that woman walked up into the hills to attempt suicide, the Sheriff’s department said. Her vehicle was located in the parking lot of the Buena Vista Carneros winery at about 2:40 p.m. Inside was an empty prescription pill bottle that had been filled earlier in the day.
Deputies from the Sonoma Valley Sheriff’s substation and the Sonoma Police Department, along with the victim’s family members and aided by the Henry 1 helicopter, began a search of the surrounding area.
After several minutes, a relative of the woman spotted her in a remote ravine, about 350 yards off a heavily vegetated trail near a small pond. Using a cell phone, the relative was able to describe the location to the helicopter, which was coordinating the search. Several deputies accessed the victim by foot and began to carry her down a rocky creek bed to a clearing. She was unresponsive and in and out of consciousness.
“Given the victim’s unknown medical condition, the possibility of a drug overdose, and the heat of the day, carrying the victim out of the canyon would have caused serious delays and would have resulted in exacerbating the victim’s worsening condition,” said Sgt. Dave Thompson. “It was a risk, but we felt it was warranted.”
The only alternative was a “long-line” rescue. According to a release from the Sheriff’s office, the helicopter landed in an open area in Bartholomew Park and Tactical Flight Officer Fletcher Skerrett was tethered to a 100-foot line. Pilot Paul Bradley than maneuvered Skerrett over the target site and, communicating by hand signals, lowered him down.
Once on the ground, Skerrett secured the woman in a basket stretcher. Both were lifted up and out of the brush and flown to the staging area, still dangling at the end of the line. Pilot Bradley – “One of the best in the country,” according to Thompson – then placed them gently on the ground.
“In 30 seconds, they were both safely flown out of the canyon and back to the lawn,” Thompson said. Paramedics from Sonoma Valley Fire/Rescue Ambulance then took over. The victim was taken by ambulance to Sonoma Valley Hospital, where she recovered and has been released.