Officer Young airlifted after suffering chest pains
An emergency medical airlift from atop Harrison Ferry Mountain was made by the Warren County Sheriff’s Department chopper Friday afternoon when one of its own fell ill.
The victim, court officer Phil (Tank) Young was on his way back from delivering a patient to Moccasin Bend in Chattanooga when he began feeling symptoms which were first feared to be the early stages of a heart attack. On Highway 111 between Dunlap and Highway 8, Young radioed for help, telling dispatchers he was having an attack.
At that point, an ambulance was dispatched toward his location as he continued to drive in the direction of Warren County. However, due to the remoteness of his location, medical help was several minutes away.
It was at that point, Warren County units intercepted the radio transmission requesting help. Several officers, including the sheriff’s department helicopter, were searching for a fugitive who had fled into the woods on Harrison Ferry Mountain in Van Buren County. The man was wanted for robbing McMinnville Title Loan earlier in the day.
In answer to the call for help, helicopter pilot Lt. Col. John Black pulled off the aerial surveillance and flew to Young’s location, finding his unit still traveling down the road. The officer pulled over and was placed inside the sheriff’s chopper and flown to River Park Hospital for treatment.
According to Sheriff Jackie Matheny, test results were encouraging. At this point, it is not believed to have been a heart attack. Young remained under observation at River Park Friday evening.
“It’s fortunate we just happened to be up there, looking for the robbery suspect,” Matheny said. “They wanted to get him to medical treatment as soon as possible and that was the best way because they were able to get him to the hospital in just a few minutes.”
First given to Warren County in 1997 by the federal government to help the war on drugs, the helicopter fleet has been used to eradicate nearly 20,000 marijuana plants in Warren County since flying missions began that year. The two choppers have also been used to assist lawmen in locating fugitives and in the location of lost persons. Money to fund the helicopter contingent is gathered through drug fines and seizures. Friday marked the first emergency medical airlift of a person the chopper has made.