BEND, Oregon — A U.S. Forest Service pilot may have saved a firefighter’s life by carrying him to safety with the aircraft’s water bucket.
The firefighter had been battling blaze and was at the center of a very long fire line, which he thought he would have been able to maneuver around or have found a safe area nearby, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Flames started moving faster and the area the firefighter thought would be safe reignited.
The unidentified pilot noticed the firefighter and quickly dropped his bucket, getting him to climb inside.
Investigators are now studying the incident in hopes of applying it to future firefighter safety.