Publisher's Synopsis
In the corridors of the Pentagon, pararescue units are called 'the Special Forces you've never heard of' the Anchorage-based parajumpers of the 210th Alaska Pararescue Squadron are one of only three such squadrons stationed permanently on U.S soil. Bob Drury has infiltrated this elite crew and delivers a startling, true life and death account of the thirty uncommon heroes trained to save lost hikers and Navy SEALs alike.
At the start of the 1999 climbing season, three Englishmen made their way up the difficult West Rib route of Mount Denali, the highest peak in North America. They planned to make for the summit 4,000 feet above them, but twelve hours later they were caught in whiteout conditions. By 11pm, flight crews from the 210th circled the climbers, but clouds were closing in...
With his unlimited access to the squad, Drury describes the awesome challenges faced by the 210th: on the highest mountain range in North America in the worst weather in the world they are on call twenty-four hours a day. They go to work uniquely prepared to pluck a climber off a ridge at 17,000 feet in a screaming snowstorm or to roll a helicopter off a cliff to save a life. This is the thrilling story of how these unsung heroes win the battle against the most treacherous landscapes on earth.
