Person rescued via helicopter in Winona County
PLEASANT VALLEY, Minn. — First responders used a helicopter to rescue an individual in Winona County on Saturday afternoon.
The Winona County Sheriff's Office was dispatched around 4:20 p.m. Saturday to a farm in Pleasant Valley for a missing person. It was reported that a person was out working on fencing and had not returned, according to a Facebook post from the sheriff's office.
More than 35 rescuers from nine other entities assisted at the scene; neighbors also helped with ATVs.
The person was found about an hour later in a "remote hard to access area," the post said. For the safety of the victim and rescuers MART — Minnesota State Patrol Air Rescue Team — was enlisted to extract the victim using a helicopter and ropes.
MART consists of a helicopter from the Minnesota State Patrol and two firefighters from the Saint Paul Fire Department.
The sheriff's office said the rescue was completed at 6:25 p.m. and the victim was transported to the hospital by Gundersen Air with serious but non life-threatening injuries.
The sheriff's office said its officers trained recently with MART "allowing us to be aware of this great resource."
"This was the second search and rescue mission in less than 72 hours and another great example of team work by all the rescuers in Winona County," the post said. "Thank you to all of the rescuers who responded."
Other entities that helped with the rescue included: the Wilson Fire Department and First Responders, Winona County SOAR Team, Winona County Mounted Posse, Winona County Emergency Management, Winona Fire Department, Winona Area Ambulance Service, Winona Police Department and Gundersen Air.
