[at-l] Sage's Ravine Rescue

[Cosmo Catalano <Cosmo.A.Catalano@williams.edu>]

From The Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield MA) 10/19/98

Emergency crews from five towns spent about 5 hours yesterday extracting a
disable dhiker from Sage's Ravine.

The hiker, Matthew Coughlin, 57, of Simsbury CT, was walking the Applachian
Trail when he fell into the steep ravine, according to Connecticut State
Police.

Police were unsure how Coughlin fell into the ravine, although rescue
workers yesterday said that the footing along that part of the trail is
precarious.  No foul play is suspected, the state police said.

The emergency call came in at about 1:30 pm, according to Sheffield Police.
A friend hiking with Coughlin left the trail and called 911.

Coughlin was transported by the Salisbury (Conn) Ambulance Squad to the
Sharon (Conn) Hospital where he was treated for a broken ankle.

....

Michael Brenner, vice president of the ambulance squad and the emergency
coordinator at the scene, said that a 20 man team was required to take
Coughlin out of the ravine.

....

Initially, Brenner said, the plan was to drop a National Guard helicopter
from a Long Island National Guard base into the ravine to try to remove
Coughlin  quickly.

But the foliage was so dense that the pickup could not be made, said Brenner.

Instead, the rescue team had to be transported by several all-terrain
vehicles, climb down the steep walls of the ravine, secure Coghlin and take
him out."

There's more (see www.newschoice.com), but this is the gist of it.


Would a cell phone have changed any of this?  It might have taken an hour
less because his partner had to walk to the phone (though I doubt the thing
would have worked in the bottom of the ravine).  An extra hour in pain,
alone, in a cold dark place...

Let's be careful out there, people.

Respectfully submitted,

Cosmo


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