CH-47 Chinook Does Awesome Pinnacle Landing to Save Suicidal Climber in Oregon

The mission ended with a death-defying, awesome “pinnacle landing” performed by the Chinook pilot, The Oregonian informs. The helicopter carried the suicidal climber and the rescue crew back to safety.

According to reports, the man had spent the night on the summit, having made the climb with the intention to end his own life. He changed his heart and called for help, which is when a rescue crew was dispatched to fetch him.

They made the climb partially on a snow mobile and then on foot, reaching the summit on Friday in the afternoon. Descent was impossible because of the weather, so a call was made to the Oregon Air National Guard, which sent one of the heavy Chinook helicopters to help them finish the job.

At an altitude of about 11,000 feet, the pilot turned the helicopter around and landed it with its 2 rear wheels on the slope, offering the rescue crew and the climber enough time to gain access to the cargo bay.

“It's surreal,” pararescuer Joshua Kruse tells the media outlet of the rescue operation. “You just have to trust that the pilot knows what he's doing and that everyone is on the same page.”

You also have to know what you are doing yourself. In the case of pinnacle landings, the blades of the helicopter no longer spin above a person’s shoulder, but are at chest height. This means that all the men on the summit had to make their way into the aircraft ducking.

The 27-year-old climber, whose identity hasn’t been made public to the press, was taken to the hospital once they reached the ground. He is believed to be ok.