Williamstown Injured hiker rescued

By Ryan Hutton
Posted: 06/26/2009 01:51:04 AM EDT


North Adams Transcript

NORTH ADAMS -- It took city emergency crews roughly six hours to find a hiker who had lost his way on the Appalachian Trail and injured his ankle.

According to Fire Department Lt. Joseph Beverly, they received a 911 call around 11 a.m. from the stranded hiker -- whose name was not available -- that came via the Massachusetts State Police.

"The big thing was that the call came into the state police, and we had trouble getting exact coordinates off of it," he said. "So we set up a command post and began the foot search where he was reported to be, about three miles from Williamstown off the Appalachian Trail."

The search team of mostly Adams Ambulance Service personnel and two firefighters wound up hiking roughly eight miles all over the hillside searching for the man and were aided by a state police helicopter. The North Adams Fire Department also sent in its 4-wheel drive vehicle towing the Wilderness Rescue All-Terrain Transport -- an off-road rescue sled designed and built by members of the department. The Williamstown Forest Warden also chipped in by sending its own 4-wheeler to assist in the search.

According to Commissioner of Public Safety E. John Morocco, the helicopter obtained a visual on the man at about 2 p.m. on a rocky outcropping near Pine Cobble, but had difficulty guiding the rescue team to him. This difficulty was compounded by the helicopter running low on fuel by the end of the operation.

Rescuers


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attempted to contact the man’s cellular phone carrier to get a more exact location by using his cell phone signal. At one point during the rescue, the helicopter reported that the rescue team was within a half-mile of the hiker, but they still could not locate him.
The team finally found the man and brought him off the mountain at about 5 p.m., although the task was difficult because the man weighed a reported 380 pounds. The man was transported to North Adams Regional Hospital and treated.

Morocco said the rescue took so long because they just could not find the hiker.

"It’s difficult terrain and visibility was bad from the air," he said. "We got him though."

The North Adams Fire Department held a meeting immediately after the man was transported to the hospital to discuss what went well and what needed improvement with the rescue.

To reach Ryan Hutton, e-mail rhutton@thetranscript.com.