A helicopter crew from Air Station Sitka medevaced a Tenakee Springs man on Monday after he sustained serious injuries falling off a ladder.
In an interview with KCAW, Air Station Sitka representative Herald Pereira said that the man was found in his cabin on Monday (3-16-26) after he fell off of a six foot ladder. Alaska State Troopers responded to the call. Pereira said the troopers reported the man was “dazed and confused” and it was unclear what had caused the fall. Troopers called for Coast Guard assistance around 1 p.m.
After assessing weather conditions and gathering other necessary information, Air Station Sitka sent out a four-person helicopter crew to retrieve the man about an hour later.
In a follow-up interview with KCAW, Air Station Sitka Assistant Public Affairs Officer Chantz Black said that the man was discovered by a concerned neighbor, who guessed that he had been lying injured on the ground for roughly a day and a half. Black said that the helicopter crew arrived back at Sitka around 4:30pm Monday, and transferred the man to Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center for further treatment.
WEB ONLY: Editor’s Note: This story was updated on 3-20-26 to include new information about the rescue, and clarify that a neighbor initially found the individual, rather than a trooper, according to more recent Coast Guard accounts.
