Penn. Emergency Responders Highlight Need to Stay Safe while Hiking
Sept. 29--Midstate emergency crews spent Sunday afternoon responding to a pair of hiking incidents on state-owned land -- and first responders say the need for this specialized rescue is on the rise.
A teenager was airlifted out of Pine Grove Furnace State Park Sunday after he fell nearly 30 feet off a cliff near Pole Steeple in Michaux State Forest.
The boy fell nearly 30 feet onto a ledge that sat another 30 feet off the ground, according to Tim Yingst, chief of Citizens Fire Company in Mount Holly Springs.
Emergency personal responded to the scene just after 11:30 a.m. Yingst said the boy was in and out of consciousness and had to be hoisted off the ledge, down to the ground, where he was prepped for transport via helicopter to Penn State Hershey Medical Center.
According to abc27 News, the 16-year-old was hiking on the Pole Steeple Trail when he fell.
Crews from the Citizens Fire Company and Yellow Breeches EMS responded to the incident. Penn Township Fire Company and South Newton Township Fire Company emergency personnel assisted on scene.
The boy's name has not been released and a updated condition is not yet available.
Mountain rescues
Yingst said the fire company used to respond to two or three mountain rescues each year. That number has increased to six or seven during the last few years.
"It's been picking up over the years," Yingst said.
He added that before Sunday it had been more than a decade since his company responded to someone falling off the rocks at Pole Steeple.
Directly after helping rescue the teenager on Sunday, Citizens Fire Company was called to another mountain rescue.
According to Yingst, a woman slipped on some rocks while hiking inside Pine Grove Furnace State Park on the Tumbling Run Trail and fractured her ankle in a location lacking cellphone service. Her husband had to hike out of the trail to a state park office to call for help.
That lack of cellphone service poses problems for first responders when trying to locate victims and communicate with other crews.
According to Yingst, the terrain in some of the areas his company works in also restricts the use of the county radio system. For both the Pole Steeple and Tumbling Run Trail rescue, Yingst said the group marked its trail with flagging tape to guide first responders in and out of the forest.
"We are training more for it (mountain rescues), because we are becoming know as the mountain rescue crew," Yingst said.
Along with the specialized training, Yingst said his fire company has invested in specialized equipment like the "Mule," which Yingst said is a gurney equipped with all-terrain wheels.
Yingst said most of the calls they receive are for less severe injuries, such as a broken leg, or for medical emergencies where the person is unable to make it out of the woods under their own power.
The two rescues Sunday came just eight days after Citizens Fire Company was called into Michaux State Forest to rescue a man having seizures while hiking on Sunset Rocks Trails.
Not all of these incidents are preventable, but the state recommends some tips to keep hikers out of danger.
"People tend to get into trouble when they go off of the marked trails," Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' Deputy Press Secretary Terry Brady said.
Brady explained that hikers can get lost in the woods if they do not follow the trails or are not familiar with the area. He said hikers should research their intended route before starting a hike and should also be prepared to navigate with low-tech gear, such as maps and a compass.
"While cellphones can be a boon for first responders, we sometimes, as society, become too reliant on the technology," Brady said, reiterating the point that cellphone service can be hit-or-miss in the woods.
Brady also said hikers should carry plenty of water to avoid dehydration and wear proper clothing to deal with rough terrain and weather conditions.
"We can't expect to not have accidents when people hike in flip-flops or sneakers with no socks in the winter," Brady said.
State forest and state park staff are trained in search and rescue techniques for their unique terrains, according to Brady, but it is always best for hikers to take some extra precaution to hopefully avoid those services.
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Posted earlier on cumberlink.com:
COOKE TOWNSHIP -- According to Tim Yingst, chief of Citizens Fire Co., the young man who was rescued Sunday from Pole Steeple in Michaux State Forest was in and out of consciousness when first-responders arrived.
Yingst said the boy fell roughly 30 feet on to a ledge, which was nearly 30 feet off the ground.
The boy had to be hoisted off the ledge and down to the ground where first responders prepped him for transport, according to Yingst.
Yingst did not have an update on the boy's condition, but said he was in serious enough shape at the scene that he needed to be flown by helicopter out of the state forest.
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Posted from abc27 news Sunday on cumberlink.com:
COOKE TOWNSHIP -- A teenager is being treated at the hospital after falling nearly 30 feet from a cliff Sunday in Cumberland County.
Emergency personal responded to the scene just after 11:30 a.m.
Investigators say the 16-year-old male was hiking on the Pole Steeple Trail in Cooke Township.
The teen was airlifted to Hershey Medical Center where he's being treated for leg trauma, shoulder and facial injuries sustained.
Crews from the Mt. Holly Springs Fire Company and Yellow BreechesEMS responded to the incident. Penn Township Fire Company and South Newton Township Fire Company emergency personnel also assisted on scene.
Copyright 2014 - The Sentinel, Carlisle, Pa.
