Crews rescued a traumatically injured hiker from the Punch Bowls, a popular hiking and swimming area in Santa Paula, on Saturday and shared video of the intense rescue to raise awareness of the risks that come with exploring remote areas.
The Ventura County Aviation Unit posted the captivating footage on Instagram Saturday night, detailing how the aircrew hoisted the patient over 220 feet out of the canyon.
According to the social media post, the rescue began when crews received a 911 text regarding someone suffering from a “traumatic injury” at the Punch Bowls.
The aviation unit responded to the swimming area located on the East Fork along Santa Paula Creek to find a single patient, who officials did not publicly identify, next to the water.
As seen in the video, a member of the aircrew was then lowered down into the canyon to help hoist the hiker hundreds of feet back up into the air and then flew them to where ground crews were waiting to provide medical treatment.
“The Ventura County Aviation Unit encourages the exploration of our beautiful backcountry, but would like to remind everyone of the potential risks for injuries in these remote areas and the extreme difficulty of these rescues,” concluded the Instagram caption.
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