A bystander is receiving credit for saving a man’s life after he suffered a significant fall into Glacier National Park‘s McDonald Creek last week. The rescue involved citizen CPR, Two Bear Air Rescue, Glacier National Park Rangers, and an ALERT helicopter.
Man Falls Into McDonald Creek
Two Bear Air Rescue was dispatched to Glacier National Park on Thursday, August 13th, after receiving a report of a man who’d fallen from an overlook into McDonald Creek. The man reportedly went over a set of waterfalls during the fall, and a bystander spotted him face down in the water.
The bystander was able to turn the man over, pull him into a shallow section of the creek, and begin performing CPR. After a short period, the victim regained a pulse and began showing a return of spontaneous circulation.
Two Bear Air Rescue Responds
Two Bear Air Rescue located the victim in the middle of McDonald Creek where he was being cared for by Glacier National Park rangers. The rescue team inserted a rescue specialist to assist with the patient’s stabilization. Once the victim had been stabilized, he was hoisted from the creek into the Two Bear Air helicopter.
The patient was flown to a waiting ALERT helicopter that took over to transport him to a hospital for further treatment. This was Two Bear Air Rescue’s second river rescue çall in just a few days in which a patient experienced a return of spontaneous circulation after receiving CPR from a member of the public.
Bystander Action Makes Difference
Two Bear Air Rescue specifically praised the bystander who entered the creek and began CPR after finding the injured man. The rescue organization said that the person’s immediate actions saved the victim’s life.
Professional rescue teams can face significant challenges reaching people injured near waterfalls, rivers and steep terrain, making immediate assistance from bystanders especially important.