Helicopter lifts stuck hiker off peak five miles southeast of Alyeska

A hiker who got stuck trying to summit a peak near Alyeska was plucked off the mountain by helicopter in the middle of the night, ending a nearly four-hour rescue early on July 28, Alaska State Troopers said.

The hiker had become stranded while trying to reach the top of the peak, about five miles southeast of Alyeska. Troopers got the report at 10:26 p.m. on July 27 and brought in the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center. The helicopter lifted the hiker off at 2:21 a.m. and flew him to Girdwood Airport, where EMS treated him for minor injuries. Troopers did not release his name or say who flew the aircraft.

The rescue came during a busy stretch for Alaska's mountain crews. Over the Fourth of July weekend, the Alaska Air National Guard hoisted a stranded hiker off Matanuska Peak in the Chugach — one of four rescues in two days. Whether the Guard took part in the Alyeska rescue isn't clear.

These operations are rarely simple. Guard officials say remote rescues in steep terrain often demand long flights, in-flight refueling and night hoists.