On June 28 your paper printed a story on “Rescue gratified by mission,” by Donna Perry.

How blessed we are in the mountains to have such capable men in the Brunswick Naval Air Station, able to respond, along with the Maine wardens, to the call for rescue in the Rangeley area.

However, I feel Ms. Perry did an injustice to the many volunteers who also aided in the search and rescue.

The Maine Warden Service, Rangeley Fire Department, Rangeley Ambulance, Phillips Ambulance, Mountain Air and the Rangeley Auxiliary, all responded to the call for help. The Phillips Ambulance was called to cover the in-town area of Rangeley area while the Rangeley Ambulance was 11 miles down the Bemis Road, about 24 miles out of town.

First, the injured party had to be located. The victim was reported to be five miles west of Rt. 17. Firemen and ambulance personnel began the hike into the woods. The wardens arrived and luckily knew a shorter approach by way of an old logging road. While the hike took place, Mountain Air flew over the area to pinpoint the exact spot of the victim.

Rangeley paramedics and wardens were on the scene and stabilized the victim until a chopper arrived with their paramedics. The patient was lifted to Central Maine Medical Center.

Without the helicopter and Navy personnel and wardens, along with the Rangeley Ambulance, Fire Department, Fire Auxiliary, and Mountain Air personnel, this tragedy might have had a very different outcome.

Jo-An C. Armstrong, Rangeley

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