Helicopter rescues injured hiker from Franklin Mountains

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- CBP's Air and Marine Operations helicopter crew rescued an injured hiker near Mammoth Cave in the Franklin Mountains this weekend.

On Saturday, August 30, 2025, the crew, flying in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter with El Paso County Combined Search and Rescue, hoisted the hiker to safety.

The hiker had fallen from a cliff near the cave. Emergency crews then rushed the hiker to a local hospital for treatment.

“This is our fourth rescue mission conducted with El Paso County Combined Search and Rescue in the month of August,” said El Paso Air Branch Director Efren Gonzalez. “The important lifesaving coordination and training we conduct with our local COMSAR partners has really paid off with these life-saving missions.”