(Image: Welsford Volunteer Fire Department/Facebook)
Fire crews rescued an injured man from a popular hiking and climbing area in Welsford on Wednesday afternoon.
Emergency crews were dispatched to a report of an injured hiker at Cochrane Lane Cliffs around 1:20 p.m.
David MacCready, chief of the Welsford Volunteer Fire Department, said eight firefighters responded to the scene with their off-road rescue equipment.
“We send a scout team to locate a victim and then we do a quick assessment and we have crews follow along with the rest of the equipment to do the extraction,” MacCready said in a phone interview Wednesday evening.
MacCready said it took the scout team about half an hour to reach the man in his 30s, who had suffered upper-body injuries.
Crews used specialized equipment to stabilize the victim and package him up for the trek back to the tree line, he said.
“It’s really rocky and rough terrain,” said MacCready. “We used what’s called a litter mule and that helps us bring patients down over this type of terrain.”
Fire crews were able to bring the man to a waiting ambulance by around 4 p.m. Wednesday. MacCready said he was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The fire chief said his crews typically respond to a handful of calls at Cochrane Lane Cliffs every year. He has some advice for those thinking about venturing out for a hike or a climb anywhere in the region this summer.
“We always encourage people to let people know where they’re going and come fully prepared to conduct the activity with proper hiking boots and helmets and headgear and first aid kits and personal equipment to sustain yourself for a while,” said MacCready.
The Base Gagetown Fire Department also responded to the scene as the cliffs are located on base property, he said.
1:20 today We responded with Ambulance NB, RCMP, CFB Gagetown Fire to a report of an injured hiker at the Cochrane Lane Cliff area. Around 4 the injured pty was finally brought to waiting med professionals and transported to hospital with non life threatening upper body injuries. pic.twitter.com/sFSpa7WeG6
— WelsfordVFD (@WelsfordVFD) June 2, 2021
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