Local News

Mass. State Police helicopter helps rescue ‘potentially suicidal’ man in Medford

Video taken by the MSP's Air Wing unit shows the incident unfold.

February 16, 2023

1 minute to read

Last week, aerial units with the Massachusetts State Police helped locate a missing, “potentially suicidal” man in Medford. A video posted online by the MSP shows how its Air Wing unit can help locate people, even in dark conditions.

Medford Police notified the MSP that they were looking for a missing man on the night of Feb. 10. Officers had reason to believe the man could be experiencing suicidal ideations.

An MSP helicopter lifted off from Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee with a flight crew of three troopers, police said.

The crew located the man under a Revere Beach Parkway overpass, near the edge of the Malden River. The troopers in the air coordinated with officers on the ground to reach the man. They called for EMS and walked the man to an ambulance, where he was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment. Police only identified the man as a “young adult.”

“The State Police Air Wing, as seen time and again, is a great public safety resource for the entire state,” the MSP said in a statement. “The mission was completed through a team effort by compassionate first responders.”

A video posted to Facebook shows how the Air Wing unit used a special camera to detect the man’s heat signature as he walked towards the river. The video then shows officers meeting with the man and helping him to an ambulance.

The MSP Air Wing unit is the “most comprehensive public safety aviation unit in the New England region,” according to the agency. Crews are positioned on air bases around the state, and can respond to incidents rapidly.

The unit is often used to help locate people who have been reported missing, monitor large public gatherings, and respond to disasters. Specialized tracking technology on the aircraft also lets the unit assist in locating stolen vehicles.

The Air Wing unit responds to more than 1,900 mission requests a year, according to Metro Aviation.