660-mile rescue flight highlights Alaska's unique challenges

The Alaska Air National Guard this week traveled nearly 660 miles to rescue a pregnant woman on a small island 2 miles from Russia. The trip reflects the challenges patients face in the nation's largest state, where there may be no roads and hospitals can be hundreds of miles away. A search and rescue helicopter from near Anchorage flew 5 hours to the tiny Bering Strait island. A cargo plane guided the helicopter through mountain passes and refueled it in the air several times. These types of extreme rescues by both the guard and other agencies are common in the state. This was the 14th such air rescue in Alaska this year.