WOMAN HOISTED FROM CASCADE PARK

Elyria – An Elyria woman had to be pulled up a hill by Firefighters after she suffered an injury inside of Cascade Park Saturday afternoon.

Assistant Chief Bob Dempsey of the Elyria Fire Department said that the 52 year old woman was hiking along the trails when she was hurt. “She said she just took a step and either twisted her foot on a rock or went into a hole and then just collapsed.”

A friend that was hiking with the woman went back up the trail to the back parking lot of the Elyria Police Department to get help. Officers notified LifeCare Ambulance who in turned requested the help from Firefighters.

As Dempsey surveyed the area where the woman was down he realized that to have Firefighters carry her back in the way she came would have been too dangerous. Firefighters at the top of the hill were instructed by Dempsey to move their operations to Forrest Street, between Parkview and Cascade Streets.

Firefighters first removed a panel of fencing and then began setting up a rope rescue operation. After LifeCare Paramedics secured the woman’s injured leg she was placed in a Stokes Basket and was then slowing hoisted up the hill.

A mixture of Firefighters and Paramedics pulled from the top of the hill while 4 Firefighters guided the basket with the woman to safety.

The woman, who Dempsey described as an avid hiker, was taken to Elyria Memorial Hospital for further evaluation.

Dempsey said that several factors played into Saturday’s operation running so smoothly. “Time was certainly on our side this afternoon. The victim was not critical or bleeding so we were ok there. The space we have here on top of the hill worked out well for us, we had no obstructions to deal with during the operation.”


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