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Helicopter aids man after seizure while hiking

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TBO.com

Published: May 17, 2009

A man who had a seizure Sunday afternoon while hiking in the woods was rescued by a Hillsborough County sheriff's helicopter pilot and deputy.

Two children hiking with Jeffrey Sutherland, 45, of Dover, called 911 from the woods near Dover Road and Sydney Washer Road in eastern Hillsborough County, about 1:40 p.m., deputies say.

Thick undergrowth and muck kept Lester Hathcox from landing, so he hovered a few feet off the ground and dropped off deputy Frank Stott, who made his way to Sutherland and the children, the sheriff's office said.

Hathcox then flew to a nearby soccer field where he picked up two paramedics and took them to Sutherland. Hathcox hovered near the ground as Stott and the paramedics put Sutherland in the helicopter. Stott stayed with the children while Sutherland was taken by ambulance to Brandon Regional Hospital, where his condition was upgraded from critical to serious Sunday afternoon, deputies say.

After dropping off the paramedics and Sutherland, Hathcox returned to the woods to pick up Stott, the 11-year-old boy and the boy's 13-year-old sister.

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