Dale Hanson

We're going to be OK.

We're going to get out of this thing, even if I'm the only one left, you know.

Then I hear them calling, and there's two of them left.

They're already hooked up, ready to go.

And then I get in, go over there.

And then with my wounded hand, I can't tie the knot.

You know how that knot is?

Bring it through yourself.

It's like I don't have a hand to do it with.

And so I thought, the only thing I can do is I can make the biggest knot

overhand knot, and pull it through the loop, snap it in, and hope I did it.

It worked.

And the chopper lifted off, and it hooked.

It's tightened on itself, and that was good.

But then it never ends, this mission.

Then the chopper is taking heavy hits.

And so instead of going straight up until we cleared the forest, he went horizontal and drug us through the foliage.

And I hooked up in the branches of the trees that I was about to be pulled off.

And my first assumption, and I'm sure it's what would have happened, is that the crew chief would have seen the dilemma and he would have cut the rope.

No use losing the chopper and us, you know?