Watch Dramatic Helicopter Night Rescue of CA Firefighters

Aug. 22, 2020
A Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office helicopter was used to rescue two Marin County firefighters who were trapped while battling the Woodward Fire at Point Reyes National Seashore.

The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office rescued two firefighters battling the Woodward Fire in a nighttime helicopter operation Friday.

The call came in around 8:15 p.m. that two firefighters with the Marin County Fire Department were battling the fire at Point Reyes National Seashore when they were trapped on a ridgeline, with flames advancing.

The Sheriff’s helicopter, dubbed Henry 1, found the firefighters trapped about 200 feet from the fire. But the fire was creating strong, gusting winds that intensified as the pilot approached, according to a Facebook post from the Sheriff’s Office.

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A flight officer used a 100-foot-long line to rescue both firefighters at the same time.

“I’m going to get you out of here, ok?” the flight officer says on the video.

The Woodward fire has burned more than 2,200 acres since it started and threatens more than 1,600 structures. It’s 5% contained.

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