An Idaho National Guard Black Hawk helicopter was called in to execute a hoist rescue Saturday, pulling a critically injured hiker off a remote stretch of Mount Idaho after he fell roughly 300 feet in the rugged Lost River Range.

Custer County Search and Rescue requested the Idaho National Guard’s TALON70 Black Hawk helicopter along with an Air St. Luke’s emergency helicopter out of Boise for the rescue.

The incident began to unfold at 12:18 p.m. when Custer County 911 dispatch received a call reporting that the hiker had fallen off Mount Idaho northeast of Mackay and suffered a severe head injury.

With the hiker stranded in remote, difficult terrain, Custer County Search and Rescue called in a military aircrew capable of executing a life-saving hoist as the mountain’s weather took a turn for the worse.

TALON70’s crew flew the Black Hawk directly into the deteriorating conditions to reach the injured man. With no room for error, the crew hoisted him off the mountainside and lowered him safely to waiting Custer County Search and Rescue ground teams and the Air St. Luke’s medical crew below. From there, he was flown by the Air St. Luke’s helicopter to Eastern Idaho Medical Center in Idaho Falls for treatment.

His name and condition have not been released.

Custer County sheriff’s officials didn’t hold back their praise for the vital role the National Guard and Air St. Luke’s played in the operation.

“We are once again impressed by the skill and bravery of the Idaho National Guard and Air St. Luke’s performing a rescue in spontaneous inclement weather conditions over the Lost River Range,” the Custer County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

The Sheriff’s Office also credited Custer County Search and Rescue, an all-volunteer organization, for its willingness to respond regardless of the risk involved.

“No matter the time of day or the conditions, our volunteers will do all they can to protect the public,” the Sheriff’s Office said.