Sacramento Metro, CA, Fire Pilot, Crew Recount Helicopter Rescue of Runner

Aug. 1, 2025
The crew of Sac Metro Fire Copter 3 and ground crews rescued an injured hiker through a hoist rescue.

Sacramento Metro Fire crews conducted a dramatic helicopter rescue Sunday after an endurance runner suffered a fractured femur in Placer County.

A friend called 9-1 and provided GPS coordinates, allowing firefighters and the helicopter crew a good idea where they needed to go on the Razorback Ridge Trail.

“Ground crews began hiking in at the same time we were launched,” Capt. James Doyle told KCRA.com. “Fortunately, they reached the scene first and were able to begin patient care. We were then able to get one of the skids next to the slope and offload Kyle so he could access the patient.”

Capt. Kyle Fritz, who was lowered from Metro Fire’s Copter 3 during the operation, said it was his first hoist rescue since joining the flight program in 2021.

“They don’t happen every day,” Fritz told the television station said.

He explained how they used a Bauman bag to package the patient and then lift them to the helicopter for transport.

About the Author

Peter Matthews | Editor-in-Chief/Conference Director

Peter Matthews is the conference director and editor-in-chief of Firehouse. He has worked at Firehouse since 1999, serving in various roles on both Firehouse Magazine and Firehouse.com staffs. He completed an internship with the Rochester, NY, Fire Department and served with fire departments in Rush, NY, and Laurel, MD, and was a lieutenant with the Glenwood Fire Company in Glenwood, NY. Matthews served as photographer for the St. Paul, MN, Fire Department and currently is a photographer for the Fort Worth, TX, Fire Department.