PORT TOBACCO, Md. -- Maryland State Police Helicopter Trooper 7, based in St Mary's, performed a hoist rescue Saturday in Charles County.
Maryland State Police Aviation Command was dispatched to a remote wooded, marshy area in Port Tobacco at approximately 6:15 p.m. on August 23, 2025, to assist in the rescue of a park visitor. The park visitor had fallen approximately 25 feet from a tree and down a steep embankment.
First responders from Charles County Fire and Rescue, La Plata Volunteer Fire Department, and paramedics from Charles County Department of Emergency Services had gained access to the patient, initiated care, and determined that transportation by medevac helicopter to a trauma center was necessary due to the severity of their injuries.
Trooper 7's pilots maneuvered the Augusta Westland 139 into position approximately 115 feet above the rescuers and patient. A rescue device and a Trooper/Rescue Technician were lowered from the AW-139 to the providers below where the patient was packaged in a rescue device, and an aerial hoist was successfully conducted. The Maryland State Police Rescue Technician continued medical care during the evolution. Trooper 7's crew subsequently transported the injured hiker to a regional trauma center while providing in-flight advanced medical care.
This rescue was a collaboration between Maryland State Police Aviation Command, the La Plata Volunteer Fire Department, Charles County DES, and our other public safety partners in Charles County.
The rescue also highlights the capabilities of the Maryland State Police Aviation Command. Ten AW-139 helicopters based out of seven sections across the state provide medevac, search and rescue, aerial law enforcement, and homeland security services and are prepared to assist in even the most challenging missions.