Helicopter Hoists Injured Hunter From Minnesota Woods

Mille Lacs, United States – A helicopter crew hoisted an injured hunter from woods in the Mille Lacs Wildlife Management Area after an accidental shooting.

Footage released by the Mille Lacs County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday, November 11, shows a helicopter hovering above bare trees under a grey sky, then lifting a person in an orange suit on a long line over the treetops and lowering them into an open field.

Chief Deputy Evenson said deputies responded that afternoon and found the victim and his hunting partner more than a mile into terrain that vehicles could not easily reach. Deputies worked to stabilize and package the victim and called in the Minnesota Air Rescue Team, made up of Minnesota State Patrol and St. Paul Fire personnel, to lift him from the woods and transfer him to a North Memorial helicopter for transport to a trauma center.

Mille Lacs Health System EMS, Onamia Fire, North Memorial Air Care and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources also assisted, the sheriff's office said. It said it did not have further information on the victim's condition but fully expected him to survive and recover.