Page 41 - DFCS NEWS MAGAZINE 2018-2

“A few minutes later, Mark’s cool, collected voice came over the radio.
“I have you in sight and we’re dropping strings. I can only take a few out at a time. Only two people this time out. I repeat, only two people on the strings this time. I’ll shuttle two of you down the mountain and come back to get the others,” he repeated.
“23, can you give me a long count? We’re coming out.” Mark radioed. He was so calm it was unnerving. “I’ll be on instruments so let me know when you have a visual.”
I couldn’t believe what I just heard! I instantly knew what Mark was going to try and do.
He had turned the Huey around, facing downhill with the canyon walls on either side and two Rangers hooked onto his strings
dangling far below.
He would have to pull them straight up at least 200 feet to clear the trees, using every last reserve of horsepower
from the engine, while flying blind in the clouds with granite on both sides; unbelievable! He noted the exact heading that he thought
would take them safely out. He had requested a long count from me on the FM radio to home in on my signal to bring him out to the valley.
He then proceeded to do a blind instrument takeoff straight up into the clouds so the Rangers dangling below would clear the treetops and not drag them all back into the streambed below.
I flew directly toward the ravine into which he had disappeared. It had seemed like hours since I had last seen him. I started counting slowly on the FM radio “one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, niner, ten, niner, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, long count over”, straining to see if they would come into sight.
And there they were! Two bodies appeared above me dangling out of the clouds as if on an invisible swing from heaven. No aircraft, no ropes visible, just two bodies swinging below the clouds.
“43, you’re clear!” I yelled. “You’re clear! Come on down!”
With that, Mark’s Huey descended like a butterfly from the overcast sky and fluttered to the ground, gently settling the Rangers in the elephant grass of the valley floor.
42 / DFCS News Magazine / WINTER 2018