(TAYLOR’S ISLAND, MD) — A Maryland State Police aviation crew helped rescue a 22-year-old man after the boat he was operating ran aground stranding him on a small island early this morning in Dorchester County.

At about 12:40 a.m., Trooper 7, which is based at St. Mary’s Airport, was dispatched to the area of Taylor’s Island for a report of a missing boater. The request came from the Dorchester County Fire and EMS Department after they had exhausted efforts searching for the subject by boat. Shortly after Trooper 7 arrived in the area, they located the victim in his boat that had run aground in a marshy area. Trooper 7 guided ground rescue crews to the victim location, however, the conditions proved to be inaccessible by foot or boat. Trooper 2, which is based at Joint Base Andrews, was dispatched at about 1:20 a.m. to assist with a hoist extraction.

Trooper 2 arrived and took over rescue operations. Once overhead, the pilots on Trooper 2 hovered the Leonardo AW-139 helicopter approximately 50 feet above the marshy terrain, while a trooper/paramedic was lowered below to assess the victim. The victim was extracted utilizing the air-lift rescue vest. The trooper/paramedic and victim were hoisted back into the aircraft. Trooper 2 then landed at a landing zone established by the Dorchester County Fire and EMS Department where the victim was transferred to ground paramedics for a secondary evaluation. The victim ultimately did not require treatment or transport.  

The Maryland State Police Aviation Command has served Maryland citizens since 1970 and operates a fleet of 10 AW139 helicopters from seven bases throughout the State. Each aircraft provides coverage 24/7/365 to Maryland residents and visitors. The MSPAC missions include medevac, law enforcement, search and rescue, homeland security, and disaster assessment. The success of the missions relies heavily on the cooperative efforts of local fire, rescue, EMS, law enforcement agencies, and our partners at the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Park Police.

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CONTACT:  First Sergeant Jeffrey Leppert, Assistant Commander, MSPAC Western Region, jeffrey.leppert@maryland.gov, (301) 663-5742