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54th HS answers the call

By Senior Airman Jose L. Hernandez, Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs / Published August 08, 2012

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MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- A crew from the 54th Helicopter Squadron at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., located a missing hiker at Theodore Roosevelt National Park July 18.

At approximately noon on July 17, Capt. Zachery Roycroft, a 54th HS pilot, received a call from a rescue center asking if the wing could provide assistance in the search of a missing individual last reported hiking near the badlands.

"They called us for support because we have Forward Looking Infrareds on board our aircraft," Roycroft said.

Roycroft quickly began coordinating with maintenance and leadership to get the search-and-rescue mission started.

His crew members, Senior Airmen Joshua Farre and Zachary Zilm, both 54th HS flight engineers, were instantly recalled to assist. Staff Sgt. James Strawn, a 69th Bomb Squadron medical technician knowledgeable on operating a helicopter hoist, was called in for support as well.

The mission required extensive coordination and planning flight routes, re-fueling destinations, obtaining details on the individual missing, figuring out aerial communication with ground and other air crews, among other miscellaneous planning. Being time-sensitive, the crew worked diligently to begin the search for the missing individual.

One of the very first objectives the crew had was coordinating a location to land and obtain handheld radios from ground search parties. This was vital as the communication equipment on the helicopter was incompatible with what was already being used by other search parties.

Like with any other mission in the military, communication is one of the most important factors for mission success. Throughout the search operation, Farre maintained direct contact with individuals on the ground, and provided constant updates.

The mission proved to be quite a task for every one of the crew members, as they each had a crucial role to perform.

"Because we were flying in tough terrain, it made for a dangerous environment to be in," stated Roycroft. "As pilots we are focused entirely on flying the helicopter."

Both flight engineers and the medical technician were scanning up and down the terrain, and providing their input on speed, altitude and area verifications.

"You wouldn't think that scanning an area would be so difficult," explained Zilm. "But after hours and hours of hoping to find this individual, the situation becomes stressful and your eyes and mind start to play tricks on you."

The crew's original intent was to utilize the helicopter's heat seeking camera. However, it wasn't as effective due to the high weather temperature.

"The best thing we could do was get as low and go as slow as we could to look out with the naked eye," said Roycroft.

As the search continued to a second day, Strawn spotted what appeared to be an individual on the ground. However, it was an unfortunate moment for the crew when they hovered next to the individual, and realized he did not appear to be moving or conscious. The crew acted quickly and even more so, since they were low on fuel.

"Airman Farre began reading [GPS coordinates] off to the ground crews; one of the pilots was explaining the situation to the civil air patrol, and I was coordinating our way back to the airport to refuel," said Zilm.

The crew worked together to recover the individual, but unfortunately the missing hiker, Dan Olszewski, was examined and pronounced deceased.

Team Minot extended its condolences to the family and friends of this individual and hope that his recovery provided some form of closure.
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