Air Idaho Rescue pilots, nurses, medics honored as heroes after 35 years of service
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IDAHO FALLS – A small collection of emotional stories poured out Thursday during a recognition lunch honoring the men and women of the Air Idaho Rescue.
“What a miracle we have in this community having all these primary first responders,” said Bob Hoff of Idaho Falls, who spoke during Thursday’s event at the Aero Mark main hangar at Idaho Falls Regional Airport.
Hoff said he nearly lost his grandson, Kale, “27 times” during an Air Idaho Rescue flight from Idaho Falls to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City.
The young boy was first rushed to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for a severe cough. Doctors quickly realized that the specialized care at Children’s was best for Kale’s condition.
That was 13 years ago.
On Thursday, Hoff asked flight nurse Christie Combs Abbott to join him at the mic. He then asked Kale to come up.
The reunion between patient and emergency caregiver drew big hugs and applause from the first responders in the crowd.
“It was St. Patrick’s Day. I remember that because we’re trying to get up to the hospital, and it seemed like there’s a parade on every street,” Hoff said. “Anyway, we finally got up there and found that he was still (alive). On the way down, we had a miracle because we had the right nurse doing the right thing.”
Established by EIRMC in Idaho Falls in 1990, Air Idaho Rescue is now part of Air Methods, a leading air medical service that delivers lifesaving care to about 100,000 people every year nationally.
Locally, the crews of the five helicopters and one fixed-wing airplane are in the air every day, providing emergency services somewhere in the region, although many times the flights go unnoticed, according to Betsy Hunsicker, chief executive officer for the hospital.
“We don’t really see you guys,” Hunsicker said. “You get a call, you show up, and there’s your child or loved one or whoever and they just miraculously got (to the hospital), so really the work you do is unseen, but so important and so critical. … You don’t get the appreciation the way that we do at the hospital.”
Beyond the A Star helicopters, which are commonly used at crash scenes or high-altitude, backcountry emergencies, the agency also uses a Pilatus PC-12 airplane when patients must be transported from Idaho Falls to hospitals anywhere in the country offering specialty medical care.
During Thursday’s lunch, two of the A Star helicopters were on hand, but before visitors could take a tour of the aircraft, both left on emergency calls, something noted by several crew members.
“You know, I’ve done this for almost 15 years now, working side by side with a lot of you,” said Sgt. Judd Aeschbacher, who works with Bonneville County on backcountry patrols. “What it comes down to is, you know, a lot of people think about the airship coming in, and they’re just gonna pick the patient up and everything … good, glorious, but what they don’t see is the amazing work ethic this team has for taking care of those.
“And it’s not just about landing and then somebody throwing that patient on the helicopter; it’s actually the groundwork that you guys do that impresses me the most, and has impressed me for over the last decade,” Aeschbacher said. “You guys are boots on the ground just as much as our rescue team and our backcountry team, and it’s impressive.”
Aeschbacher praised the talent of the pilots, flight paramedics and nurses on hand Thursday.
“The amount of work, talent all that stuff that goes into getting that patient packaged getting them to the helicopter; it’s just nothing short of amazing,” Aeschbacher said.
“Really … every time that we are able to call you in and you guys accept that flight, it’s a huge relief that comes off of our shoulders, knowing that we’re gonna get some expert help,” Aeschbacher said. “So I just want to thank you guys for all the years and all the calls that we’ve all been on for being there … (you) tear it up, and we really appreciate it.”
