West Virginia Deputy Fire Chief Shares Cliff Rescue Story

April 15—Nightfall was rapidly approaching Sunday evening when Fayette County 911 received a call about a young hiker who had fallen approximately 50 feet from a cliff at the New River Gorge National River.

First responders quickly assembled their teams, scrambling to salvage the remaining vital minutes of daylight left to aid their rescue efforts.

In route to the scene, responders started receiving mixed messages about a possible second fallen victim, further intensifying an already dire situation.

"You're always thinking about how you're going to approach this situation, how much help you'll have, how difficult it will be to access the patient and the condition of patient," said Ansted Deputy Fire Chief Pat Gray. "Very seldom are these easy."

Gray, a 27-year member of the Ansted Volunteer Fire Department and a 10-year member of the Fayette County Vertical Rescue Team, said the situation was a complex one from the start.

"By the time we were really setting up, it was getting dark."

First responders thankfully made visual contact with the first victim, a 13-year-old boy who had fallen near the end of the 1.5-mile Long Point Trail. But the location of his 19-year-old brother was still unknown at that point.

Gray was soon notified that the 911 Center was on the phone with the 19-year-old.

"We had great service out there, which is sometimes not always the case in the trails we work on," Gray said.

Dispatchers connected Gray with the 19-year-old, who was able to share more information about his condition and his location on the trail.

Gray shared the new details with other members of the rescue team, and asked a responding paramedic to speak to the 19-year-old to better assess his medical situation.

"He had a whistle and a flashlight, so we told him to start using those to pick up where he was at."

Once the lowering and raising system was double and triple checked, the 13-year-old was lifted to safety.

The rescue team then began its trek into the dark, rugged terrain of the New River Gorge trail, searching for the flash of the teen's light and the burst of the whistle.

Rescuers called the 19-year-old a second time as a ranger from the National Park Service joined the crew. They continued navigating the wilderness and eventually located the fallen hiker.

"In many instances, patients may not be able to communicate with us. It was great to be able to in this situation, which was very dangerous for both the rescuers and the patients. To have that ability to talk directly to the patient, it was really meaningful and really helpful."

Gray credits all the responders involved with the rescue, especially the leader of the Vertical Rescue Team, his brother, Ansted Fire Chief Mike Gray -- "He always make sure we're trained, equipped and prepared."

The Fayette County Vertical Rescue Team trains together throughout the year, with Bridge Day being one of its biggest events.

"We perform parachute rescues for people who land in trees or any other places they shouldn't."

The team is notified of any rescue scenarios in Fayette County, in the New River Gorge National River area or even outside the county as needed.

Gray also credits AT&T and its coverage area for making the communications between the rescuers and patients possible.

"We were already disadvantaged by time of day and trying to locate a patient we at first didn't even know about. It was really great to be able to pull my phone out and call and be able to speak with him."

Hearing the 19-year-old's voice on the other end of the line was a huge relief -- both in knowing for certain that a second party needed assistance, and in knowing that he was able to communicate.

"We're not always that fortunate, but cell phones and good cell phone service definitely gives us another tool in our tool bag. It's always great when we can successfully bring patients out and make sure rescuers are safe."

Other media outlets are reporting both boys are recovering from their injuries. According to those reports, the 13-year-old was released Monday from Charleston Area Medical Center and his brother was released just before noon Tuesday.

Copyright 2015 - The Register-Herald, Beckley, W.Va.