PORTAGE, WI (WSAU) -- The crew of a UW Med Flight helicopter was the target of a laser pointer during a Tuesday evening run.
Columbia County Sheriff’s officials are trying to find out who aimed a laser pointer at the chopper at about 5:00 PM as it was en route to pick up a 17-year-old who was injured in an ATV accident
The flight attempted to circle the area and the laser beam followed their flight path. The pilot was injured in the incident and deemed it not safe to land the aircraft, so the chopper returned to its base.
The pilot was later checked at a UW hospital and was found to be okay.
The 17-year-old boy was eventually taken to the hospital by ambulance to be treated for a head injury and broken bones.
If the suspect is caught they could face charges of aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft, punishable by up to 5 years in prison and $250,000 in fines. The beam can interfere with a pilot's vision, especially during critical times such as landing and take-off, endangering all on board the craft.
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