Barbara Lawlor, Nederland.

For the last week, Nederland’s wind has been relentless, blowing hats off heads, garbage bags into

bushes and taking down tree tops.

On Sunday, when the call went out asking for a North Colorado Med Evac helicopter to fly to

Nederland to pick up a patient injured in a ski accident, a pilot responded to the call. An AMR ambulance

transported the patient to the Nederland Middle Senior High School baseball field where the Nederland

Fire Protection District, the Nederland Police Department officers and Boulder County Sheriff’s deputies

were at the landing zone ready to flag down the chopper.

The helicopter came from the east and circled the landing area a few times and then headed west

to swing around for another try. High winds buffeted the helicopter, and after hovering over the school

for a few minutes, the pilot informed the ground crew that it was too risky to land there.

He told the emergency team that he would try landing at the reservoir. The fire engines, police cars

and NFPD trucks headed out with sirens and lights to Barker Reservoir where they pulled up to the

parking lot as the helicopter circled the reservoir and headed to the new landing zone. It was obviously

struggling to maintain control as the wind slammed against the chopper and finally the pilot aborted the

rescue and headed back home.

When the news came in, the AMR ambulance began the descent down the canyon to the hospital

and the other responders went out on another call.

While the helicopter was hovering over the reservoir a group of Boulder County Search and Rescue

volunteers were practicing ice rescues but stopped their training while the chopper did its

reconnaissance.

Originally published in the February 22 issue of The Mountain-Ear.