BWCA Evacuation on Basswood last Saturday Boundary Waters Listening Point - General Discussion
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PuffinGin
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07/06/2017 08:34AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Anyone know any details regarding this message posted yesterday on Facebook by the folks at St. Louis County Rescue Squad? Note: I didn't include the photo accompanying the FB post.
"Our team prepares to head out with a patient following a mishap on Basswood's Pipestone Bay in the Boundary Waters last Saturday night. Kudos and many thanks to Lake County Rescue, Lake County Sheriff's Deputies, Ely Ambulance, Ely Hospital, North Air Care, and all the players who provided muscle and helped keep an injured patient comfortable during a complex and challenging rescue."

Apologies if my ? has already been answered and this is thus duplicate post.
 
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ellahallely
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07/07/2017 06:09PM  
I was told a lady broke her leg. She was taken out by motorboat then flown to Duluth.

A request was made to have a forest service beaver fly her out. But rescuers were told no planes were available until July 5th. The FS had three planes a few years ago, I thought they were down to two now. I can see one being out of service for annual but not two. I will have to check into this. It would not be good for the forest service to only have one plane. Or one pilot for that matter.

I have added a link to a video of the FS seaplane base in Ely. Check it out very informative.

forest-service-seaplane-base-video
 
VoyageurNorth
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07/09/2017 03:26AM  
I wonder if the company that does the Spot Tracker evac rescues uses the Forest Service aircraft ever?

We have never had a problem when someone has used the 911 on a Spot to get evacuated pretty quickly (unless very late or nasty weather which prohibits flying).

I have always just let that company handle scheduling the evac flight and never thought about who they actually got to do the flight.
 
07/09/2017 06:41AM  
quote VoyageurNorth: "I wonder if the company that does the Spot Tracker evac rescues uses the Forest Service aircraft ever?

We have never had a problem when someone has used the 911 on a Spot to get evacuated pretty quickly (unless very late or nasty weather which prohibits flying).

I have always just let that company handle scheduling the evac flight and never thought about who they actually got to do the flight.
"


GEOS is the name of the company that gets the emergency signal from the satellites for SPOT and Garmin. Rescue centers run by the Coast Guard or USAF get the signals for ACR. In eithercase they contact what ever agency is designated as responsible for coordinating rescue for any given locations based on databases they keep. My understanding is rescue for throughout the BW is coordinated by sheriff for whichever of the 3 counties it happens to be in, and the sheriff's S&R team figures out what other resources to call in (USFS by canoe or Beaver, State Patrol, etc.). I'm guessing a lot depends on best guess of the need, weather, and simply who is available and ready to go.

Those piston engine Beavers have hauled out plenty of people and dropped a lot of water on fires, but man they are getting old and tough to car for. Same technology in those engines as the planes my uncle flew off carriers in WWII.
 
07/09/2017 07:21AM  
Pretty much Nationwide those water dumping bombers are very old. Time to start upgrading.
 
07/09/2017 10:35AM  
quote Pinetree: "Pretty much Nationwide those water dumping bombers are very old. Time to start upgrading. "

I'll miss the old ones when they go, but when they do get new ones I hope they get something pretty cool.

 
07/09/2017 11:14AM  
quote Jaywalker: My understanding is rescue for throughout the BW is coordinated by sheriff for whichever of the 3 counties it happens to be in, and the sheriff's S&R team figures out what other resources to call in (USFS by canoe or Beaver, State Patrol, etc.). "


I beleive you are correct Jaywalker.
This how it was when I worked for the USFS.
It is also the same way for the USFWS here on our Refuge in Ak, except we do not have counties, so the State Troooers coordinate the emergency services.
 
ellahallely
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07/09/2017 12:16PM  
Only plane I can think of to replace it with is the Kodiak Quest. $ 2.5 million on floats and needs twice as much water to take off as the Beaver. Can not operate on skis. The Qwest has no firefighting capabilities. Todays FAA would never let the FS hang one of those water pick-ups on a plane. There is the Fireboss for fighting fires at about $ 2.5 million.
 
airmorse
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07/09/2017 01:04PM  
25 million for the fireboss? You could buy a nice Falcon 2000. Or three used Citation Sovereigns. And have a million or so left over.

I hope you ment 2.5 million.
 
ellahallely
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07/09/2017 01:33PM  
Thanks fixed it.
 
07/09/2017 08:32PM  
The Fireboss is the new fire fighting aircraft in AK and MN, since the state of MN sold their two CL-215's a couple year ago.

The 802 is a single seater turbine engine, crop duster retrofitted with floats, and can skim water similar to the Beaver's, the CL-215 and 415's, the 415 is turbine driven, the 215 is the same aircraft but piston powered. (The 215 and 415 are are made by Bombardier out of Canada.)

The Fireboss can carry 800 gallons of water in Mn, but cannot carry any passengers, so it would not work for rescues.

Having said that, I sure miss the sound of a DeHaviland Beaver flying overhead.
We lose 2-3 a year here in AK, and every time one goes down, my heart sinks a little since they are no longer being manufactured.

I am a pilot, and flew on/with most of the Beaver's and pilots firefighting out of the Ely Seaplane base.
Sorry I'm getting long winded talking about aircraft.

Ellahalley, when I retire and return to Duluth, would you consider taking my wife and I for a ride in your plane
No pressure, we would of course pay for fuel. I can't afford to fly myself anymore.
 
07/09/2017 09:38PM  
 
07/09/2017 09:43PM  
Its neat to see them scoop up water.
 
ellahallely
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07/10/2017 10:03AM  
LT3 looks like you and your wife are going for a ride. You let me know when and I will make it happen.I could pick you in Duluth.
 
07/10/2017 11:48AM  
quote ellahallely: "LT3 looks like you and your wife are going for a ride. You let me know when and I will make it happen.I could pick you in Duluth."


That's awesome, you're very kind. I'm returning to Duluth around November 1st, I was thinking next summer sometime for a ride.

Email me sometime, klindy1@hotmail.com.
I can't pull up others emails from my phone or work computer, or I would have emailed you direct. But if you email me I will store it for the future.
 
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