Helicopter Operations
When a subject is stranded on a cliff face or pinned deep in a roadless canyon, the fastest way out is straight up — a helicopter rescue hoist. Cochise County SAR runs these missions in partnership with Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) Aviation, whose Ranger helicopters and rescue crews bring the hoist capability our terrain demands.
A hoist for the terrain with no way down.
A rescue hoist lifts an injured subject straight off a cliff, canyon floor, or ledge that offers no walk-out route and no place for a litter team to lower them. When a mission calls for that capability, the Sheriff's Office requests Arizona DPS Aviation — a state asset whose Ranger helicopters fly a pilot and a hoist-qualified rescue paramedic, purpose-equipped for technical hover rescue across Arizona's mountains and canyons.
Cochise County SAR is the ground half of that partnership. Our teams locate and reach the subject, provide medical care and package them for flight, then secure the scene and run communications with the aircraft so the hoist is fast, controlled, and safe under rotor wash. Members trained to work on the cable coordinate directly with the DPS crew during the pick.
What air ops bring
Hoist extraction
A powered cable hoist on the DPS Ranger lifts the patient and rescue specialist directly into the cabin while the aircraft holds a hover overhead — the answer for cliff faces, slot canyons, and ledges with no route up or down for a litter team.
Reach, treat & package
Before the aircraft arrives, CCSAR ground teams find the subject, deliver wilderness medical care, and package them in a litter or rescue strop — ready to go the moment the hoist comes down.
Scene & LZ coordination
We secure the site, manage hazards and rotor wash, mark and clear a helispot where one is needed, and run radio communications with the flight crew so every pick is deliberate and controlled.
A partnership that brings people home
Cochise County SAR doesn't operate aircraft — Arizona DPS Aviation does. Hoist rescues pair their helicopter, pilot, and rescue paramedic with our terrain knowledge, ground teams, and patient care, requested through the Sheriff's Office so the right asset reaches the subject first.