Viral Glacier Rescue Video Shows Incredible Two Bear Air Hoist Rescue

Over the past few days, thousands of people scrolling social media platforms across the United States have come across a shocking aerial rescue. A helicopter hovers over a steep mountainside, with a steel cable slowly lowered from the aircraft. At first, I thought this was footage shot for an adventure film or television production. Then I realized this was a real mountain rescue that took place on Mount Siyeh in Glacier National Park this past Monday.

Read More: Climber In Danger Rescued By Helicopter In Glacier Park

A Dangerous Situation on the Way Down

According to Two Bear Air Rescue, the two people in distress were female hikers who had successfully summited Mount Siyeh. While on their way back down the mountain, one of the women fell unexpectedly and suffered a significant arm injury. The terrain where they became stranded was extremely steep, leaving them unable to safely continue down the mountain on their own.

Two Bear Air Rescue/Facebook

Due to the terrain, the helicopter could not land, so the rescue team performed a professional hoist rescue. The aircraft maintained a hover above the mountainside while rescue personnel were lowered hundreds of feet on a steel cable to reach the hikers. The crew safely hoisted both women into the helicopter before flying them to the Logan Pass Visitor Center, where Glacier National Park rangers took over.

Few people recognize the incredible precision these rescues require. It really takes some talent. With constantly changing mountain winds, maintaining a stable hover while coordinating the raising and lowering of a cable to transfer people safely demands an extraordinary level of skill.

More Than Just Another Viral Video

Behind every viral rescue video is a highly trained team carrying out work that most of us hope we'll never need.

Glacier National Park is one of the most spectacular places in the United States, but mountain environments leave very little room for error. Even experienced hikers can find themselves in a dangerous situation after a single slip or unexpected injury.

This video is worth taking a few minutes to watch, not only because the rescue itself is remarkable, but because it offers a rare look at the outstanding work performed by the crews at Two Bear Air Rescue and Glacier National Park, who respond when emergencies unfold in Montana's rugged backcountry.