BEND, Ore.— The U.S. Forest Service says its fire crews are learning from a report on how a firefighter trusted the judgment of a helicopter pilot who insisted he hop into an empty water bucket dangling from the copter and get out of harm's way.
Read the Report: Pole Creek Fire Extraction
KTVZ-TV reports (http://bit.ly/TCYuTJ ) the agency did a follow-up study of the dramatic rescue Sept. 28 during the Pole Creek fire near Sisters.
The pilot and firefighter were in an area where fire activity had been minimal when the pilot spotted flames kicking up and closing off evacuation routes for the firefighter.
Although the firefighter said he'd be fine, the pilot persisted. So the firefighter got in and was lifted away. The pilot says that as he flew away, it appeared the area was engulfed in flames.
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