Yukon Quest musher calls for medical help, drops out of race

Yukon Quest race officials say musher Jason Campeau has been withdrawn from the race, because of a "medical issue" that required him to be flown out by helicopter.

The Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, musherpressed the help button on his tracking device on Wednesday afternoon, about 72 kilometres from the Eagle checkpoint. He was en route to Dawson City.

Race marshal Doug Harrissays help, including a nurse practitioner,was immediately sent out from Eagle to find Campeau. The musherwas then taken to a nearby cabin where "they attended to him as best they could."

Harrissays Alaska state police and U.S. military personnel then arranged for Campeauto be flown to Fairbanks by helicopter, on Thursday. He saysit took almost 24 hours to get Campeauout because he was on one of the most remote parts of the trail.

"It was darkness, it's been 52to 55 in that areaalong where he was, and the remoteness of it in itself speaks for the difficulty of extracting somebody from that terrain," Harrissaid.

Race officials have not said what happened to Campeau. Harrissaid only that he'd heard the musher's condition was "stable".

Campeau's wife, Jennifer Campeau, was also mushing in the Yukon Questthis year. On Thursday, she scratched from the race.

Jason Campeau finished the Yukon Quest in 2015 and scratched from the race last year. He also competed in the Iditarodin 2015 and 2016.

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