GREAT FALLS — A coordinated rescue saved the life of a seriously injured hiker near Old Scraggy Mountain on Saturday, August 9, 2025, near Zortman.
The Phillips County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call at around 4 p.m., reporting that a member of a hiking party had fallen down a sheer rock face near the peak.
Spotty cell service made it difficult to locate the hiker, and rescuers searched for nearly three hours before discovering the hiker in a rock chute.
"We realized that the only way this subject was making it off the mountain was by a helicopter hoist," stated Phillips County Undersheriff Jordan Arthur.
Watch: Coordinated effort leads to successful rescue of an injured hiker: Critically-injured hiker rescued in Phillips County
The 189th Helicopter Crew of the Montana Army Na