CLARK FORK - A helicopter was used to pluck a hiker who fell ill near the summit of Scotchman Peak on Thursday.

Bonner County EMS said dispatchers received a call at 10:54 a.m. about a hiker, a male reported to be in his 60s, who was suffering symptoms of a serious medical condition approximately 20 yards from the summit of the 7,009-foot peak.

Clark Fork Ambulance, East Pend Oreille Fire, a Bonner EMS paramedic and operations chief, and a Life Flight Network staged at Clark Fork High School. The sheriff's office and Priest Lake Search and Rescue were also notified in the event a ground evacuation was required.

A flight crew from Two Bear Air, based in Whitefish, Mont., was asked to assist in the rescue because its helicopter is equipped with a hoist. The crew located the patient near the summit and hoisted him into the chopper.

Two Bear Air rendezvoused with Light Flight at the high school at 12:44 and the hiker was flown to Kootenai Health in Coeur d'Alene.

BCEMS Deputy Chief Ross Crawford said coordination between several agencies and two air services resulted in a positive outcome.

"This was another great team effort by all the agencies involved," Crawford said. "The fact that this patient was en route to the hospital less than two hours after the initial 911 call is nothing short of remarkable and we owe a huge debt of gratitude to the crew from Two Bear Air for the rapid response, expert skills and their willingness to come so far to help someone in Bonner County. I have no doubt that they helped save a life today."

Crawford said a ground evacuation would have required a technical rescue response involving 20 or more people. It also would have taken as long as 18 hours.

"It doesn't get more much more remote in Bonner County than the top of that peak," he said. "The distance, terrain and extreme weather conditions would have put everyone involved in the rescue at risk, especially the patient."