A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) helicopter crew rescued a hiker near Mammoth Cave in the Franklin Mountains on August 30. The operation involved an AMO El Paso Air Branch UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, which assisted the El Paso County Combined Search and Rescue (COMSAR) team.
According to CBP, the crew hoisted both the injured hiker and six COMSAR rescue members 180 feet into the aircraft after the hiker fell from a cliff. The helicopter then transported the individual directly to a local hospital for medical treatment.
El Paso Air Branch Director Efren Gonzalez commented on the ongoing collaboration between agencies: “This is our fourth rescue mission conducted with El Paso County Combined Search and Rescue in the month of August. The important lifesaving coordination and training we conduct with our local COMSAR partners has really paid off with these life-saving missions.”
Air and Marine Operations is part of CBP, operating in air and maritime environments across the United States, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands. More information about this rescue can be found in video footage shared by CBP at https://x.com/CBPAMO/status/1962973376500076782.
CBP describes itself as America’s largest law enforcement organization and the world’s first unified border management agency, with over 65,000 personnel working to protect national security through various means including intelligence, collaboration, and enforcement of lawful travel and trade.
