WHITEWATER TOWNSHIP — A coordinated rescue effort involving the U.S. Coast Guard, local EMS and Whitewater Township Fire Department led to the successful airlift of an injured person from a remote section of the VASA single-track trail on June 6.

According to a June 6 Facebook post from Whitewater Township Fire Department , Whitewater Township firefighters responded to a medical emergency deep in the wooded trail system and reached the patient using a Kubota UTV.

However, the return trip across the rugged terrain was deemed nearly impossible and potentially unsafe for both rescuers and the patient.

Due to a rapid response from the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in Traverse City, a helicopter was dispatched to the scene, and the patient was airlifted to safety.

“This rescue was a true t

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