40-King 6 Aviation Crew
Conducted a Hoist
rescue on
Clark Mountain in
Mountain Pass
Thursday,
December 31, 2020, at 2:03 P.M., the San Bernardino County Sheriff Desert
Dispatch Center received information from CHP, of a stranded hiker in the area
of Clark Mountain. SBC Sheriff Aviation 40-King#6 was dispatched and contacted 27 year-old Christopher Halsch by phone to
get his exact location via GPS coordinates.
The Aviation Crew then
responded to the area and located Halsch on a steep slope of the mountain at
about the 7000' level. Halsch could not hike any further due to the terrain, he
wasn’t dressed for cold weather as the weather was worsening.
Hiker Chris Halsch stated that
he was not experiencing any injuries but did have a charged cell phone and some
water. Due to the questionable circumstances, it was determined that a hoist
rescue was required. SBC Sheriff Aviation Pilot Deputy Kowalski flew directly
to Halsch's location and conducted a hover while Flight Officer Corey Lawrence lowered
San Bernardino County Fire Captain Spencer Brumbaugh via the hoist to Halsch.
Brumbaugh placed Halsch in a
rescue harness and he was hoisted into the helicopter. Halsch was dropped-off
at a safe location off the mountain. 40-King#6 returned to pick up Brumbaugh
off the mountain side. The helicopter crew then picked up Halsch and flew to a
location off the I-15 freeway to be released to US Forest Park Rangers, who
were enroute to take him to his vehicle.
The crew consisted of SBC Sheriff Aviation 40-King#6 Pilot Deputy Paul
Kowalski, 40-King#6 Flight Officer Corey Lawrence and San Bernardino County
Fire Captain Spencer Brumbaugh.
San Bernardino
County Sheriff Aviation Unit
JOHN McMAHON, Sheriff-Coroner
San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department
909-252-4100