Chesterfield, VA – A teenage hiker was airlifted Tuesday afternoon from Devil’s Marble Yard in Rockbridge County, marking the second rescue in 24 hours for Virginia State Police’s Med-Flight 1.
According to Virginia State Police, the rescue was initiated around 2:45 p.m. on April 1. The injured teen was stranded in a remote hiking area and required urgent extraction. The mission followed a similar Med-Flight response to Madison County on March 31, where another hiker was reportedly rescued under comparable circumstances.
Med-Flight 1, piloted by VSP Pilot Curt Conlin and staffed by Chesterfield Firefighters Russell Horne and David Webb, flew roughly 93 nautical miles to reach the site. After a reconnaissance flight, Webb was lowered by hoist to secure the patient, who was then lifted to the aircraft.
The teen was transported to a command post near Richmond. As her condition was stable, the crew flew her to a hospital in Central Virginia. The team later returned to retrieve Webb and concluded the mission in Chesterfield.
Rockbridge Fire and EMS also assisted. The rescue coincided with the 41st anniversary of Med-Flight’s founding. The program is publicly funded and does not charge for services.
