DNR Officer rescued by Minnesota Air Rescue Team
If you heard the audio of St. Paul Fire Captain Brian Buxton introducing himself to Department of Natural Resources Officer Annette Schlag, you'd think the pair had just met for coffee.
Instead, Schlag was in a neck brace, lying on the ground in the woods. Buxton had just descended some 130 feet from a hovering helicopter to help her.
"Hey Annette. My name is Brian, I'm a medic with St. Paul," Buxton said, "We called everything to get you out of here today."
According to the Minnesota State DNR, Schlag was dismantling an illegal deer hunting stand when she fell about 20 feet on March 30. It happened in the Whitewater Wildlife Management Area near Plainview, east of Rochester.
At first, State Trooper Lt. Craig Benz said that local first responders were able to locate the officer and provide care. But when those local firefighters realized Schlag may have internal injuries, they contacted the Minnesota Air Rescue Team (MART). Benz serves as chief pilot, taking off with Buxton and his fellow St. Paul Fire Captain Frank Tate.
DNR shared video of the rescue. As Benz keeps the chopper steady, Tate mans the winch, helping to lower Buxton to the forest below. Once on the ground, Buxton's bedside manner takes over. The camera on his helmet captures what he says to Schlag.
"My job is you. That's my sole job, alright?"
He coaches her as he secures the DNR officer in what's called an ARES bag; it's like an enclosed gurney that secures a patient before they are taken up into the sky. Buxton is alongside her as they ascend; Tate is there, hanging out of the helicopter, to bring them inside.
"I don't think there's anytime for fear," Tate said, "when you do get a call, it's very rewarding. We put hundreds if not thousands of hours into training to do this."
Buxton said that part of that training is helping people feel safe as they are brought skyward.
"If the patient is not in a position to be rescued we did our job poorly," Buxton said.
The team brought Schlag to an ambulance waiting in a nearby field. Schlag is now recovering, putting out a statement via the DNR to WCCO.
"On behalf of my husband Ben and I, as well as our friends and family, we want to extend our most heartfelt thanks to all the incredible first responders and medical staff who assisted in the rescue and follow-up medical care. This was certainly unexpected, but we are grateful it didn't lead to a more undesirable outcome," Schlag said, "the outpouring of support we have received has been nothing short of incredible."
Schlag went on to thank eleven agencies involved in emergency response and medicine.
Lt. Benz said it's all a team effort. The equipment is also critical for MART; the helicopter they used in this rescue operation was purchased about one year ago. Benz explained that it has newer technology that ensures they can remain in the air during a rescue, avoiding the process of landing that was required with their previous aircraft.
Benz said that state police use the helicopter often for patrolling work. These kinds of rescue operations happen about 30 times a year, he said.
