Video: Wisconsin National Guard rescues injured hiker at Devil's Lake State Park

BARABOO, Wis. (FOX 9) - The Wisconsin National Guard rescued two people who were hiking Saturday at Devil’s Lake State Park in Baraboo.

According to the National Guard, the couple were hiking the rocky fast of the east side of the lake when a large stone dislodged and pinned a woman's leg against another large stone.

Luckily, the National Guard had recently finished a training mission on how to rescue someone at the park.

“It couldn’t have gone any better,” Baraboo Fire Chief Kevin Stieve said in a release. “It was very similar to the training.”

According to the release, the Baraboo Fire Department and Baraboo Emergency Medical Service arrived at the scene and were able to free the woman’s leg. While her leg was not broken, she was unable to walk. Officials then decided to request air transport.

“Carrying her out would have been dangerous,” Stieve said. “We had to stay with her for a while, but moving her would have taken just as long. That waiting helped keep our responders safe.”

About an hour after the fire department was dispatched to Devil’s Lake, the Army Aviation Support Facility #1 in West Bend received the mission to hoist the injured hiker. By 3:05 p.m. the Black Hawk crew left West Bend, and arrived at Devil’s Lake by 3:39 p.m. The hiker was in the helicopter by 3:56 p.m.

“They were not on the scene very long at all,” Stieve said. “It was all very smooth and efficient.”

Officials said the U.S. Army requires hoist training every 90 days.