UPDATE: Rescued Hiker Shows Her Support with Gratitude & Cookies
UPDATE: Rescued Hiker Shows Her Support with Gratitude & Cookies
On June 17, 2026, Christie Boss returned to the air crew and the helicopter that provided life-saving measures during her time of need. Christie was all smiles as she met with the crew and toured the Spokane Regional Air Support Unit Hangar (SRASU). Signs of her injury were still present as she made her way around the helicopters.
“Still walking on a crutch, on our way to a full recovery. I’ve got a whole new set of hardware inside the leg,” she said.
Her air crew on the day of her incident were Pilot Dave Valenti, Pilot Jack Scanlon, Crew Chief Sgt. C. Bylow, Helicopter Rescue Medic S. Schuster, and Helicopter Rescue Medic R. Schlining. They all stood around, listening to Christie recount the chain of events from her injury leading to her rescue. Christie had a chance to examine the hoist used for her and the same ARES bag/litter that was successfully used to hoist her off South Chilco Mountain in Kootenai County, Idaho.
“It was very windy and cold; my body had gone into shock by the time they got to me,” she recalled.
Christie was asked, prior to leaving the hangar, whether there was any information she would pass along to people hiking and enjoying the mountains this summer.
She replied with a smile, “Carry your Garmin!”
###
Original Information Release on 06/02/2026.
Rescue 3 Successfully Hoists Injured Hiker to Safety
Spokane Regional Air Support Unit (SRASU) Rescue 3 Flight Crews responded to assist in rescuing an injured hiker with a suspected broken femur from rugged and remote terrain near South Chilco Mountain in Kootenai County.
On May 30, 2026, at approximately 11:30 am, Spokane Regional Air Support Unit Rescue 3 Flight Crews received a Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office request for assistance with rescuing an adult female hiker who had fallen and possibly suffered a broken femur. The victim was reported to be in rugged terrain, approximately 4.5 miles south of the Bunco Trailhead parking lot, near South Chilco Mountain.
With the location inaccessible by vehicle or UTV, ground rescue crews began the nearly three-hour hike to reach the victim.
Rescue 3 Crews prepared the Bell UH-1H Super Huey and launched at approximately 12:20 pm, reaching the injured patient at approximately 12:58 pm at an estimated elevation of 5,500 feet.
As Rescue 3 Pilots D. Valenti and J. Scanlon skillfully maneuvered and held Rescue 3 in position, Crew Chief C. Bylow lowered Helicopter Rescue Medic (HRM) S. Schuster to the ground to assess the patient. HRM R. Schlining soon followed with an ARES bag/litter system to help in preparing the victim to be safely hoisted from the mountain.
After Crew Chief C. Bylow retrieved HRM R. Schlining, HRM S. Schuster, and the victim, safely secured in the ARES bag/litter, were hoisted off the mountain.
Rescue 3 flew the patient directly to Kootenai Medical Center for additional medical care.
As of May 31, 2026, thankfully, the patient had undergone surgery, was reportedly in good condition, and preparing to go home.
Rescue 3 Flight Crew
Pilot: Dave Valenti
Pilot: Jack Scanlon
Crew Chief: C. Bylow, Sergeant, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office
Helicopter Rescue Medic: S. Schuster, Firefighter/Paramedic with Spokane Valley Fire Department
Helicopter Rescue Medic: R. Schlining, Battalion Chief with Spokane County Fire District 4
###
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
