Search and Rescue team responds quickly to fallen rider at Bucking Mule Creek area

Timing is everything when it comes to providing medical aid to an injured person, and once again last week the proximity of responders to a victim in the Big Horn Mountains made for a quick response to the situation.

According to Big Horn County Sheriff Ken Blackburn, a hunting party was heading into the Bucking Mule Creek area with horses and packs on the afternoon of Thursday, Sept. 5, when one of the horses threw its rider.

“In the course of getting thrown off, the rider went underneath the horse and got stomped on,” Blackburn said. “He suffered significant head injuries and lost consciousness. He then regained consciousness and, though injured, was able to communicate.”

North Big Horn Search and Rescue lieutenant Tom Newman of Lovell was himself hunting in the immediate area and witnessed the commotion unfold, Blackburn said. He left his hunt and went to the aid of the injured rider. He had his radio with him and was able to quickly alert the SAR team in Lovell.

“We got a call-out within a few minutes of the accident, which doesn’t normally happen,” Blackburn said. “There were several other (SAR) members on the mountain who were able to respond and proceed to the accident site and participate in the rescue. Several members and deputies got to the site quickly.”

Blackburn said the Lovell Police Department and sheriff’s office coordinated on calling for a medical helicopter, and a First Flight copter was able to land near the site of the fallen rider.

“(Responders) were able to package the patient and transfer the patient to a Billings hospital in about an hour and 50 minutes, which is phenomenal for that type of rescue,” Blackburn said of the start-to-finish timing of the event. “This is an example of volunteers never really being off duty and being willing to discontinue their own vacation plans to help someone else. Deputies were in place to assist and provide emergency communication and coordinate the volunteer response.

“Though they didn’t end up transporting the victim, I’d like to thank the North Big Horn Ambulance Service for responding. They were able to respond with a four-wheel-drive ambulance into the back country.”