By: Assistant Chief Scott Goldstein
Just after 6:45pm
last night, Montgomery County Fire Rescue was contacted by the Maryland
Emergency Management Agency and requested to assist Washington County Fire
Rescue with a spelunker trapped in a cave in the Clearpsring section of western
Washington County
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| Click on photo above to go to Flickr Site w/more photos |
Personnel from Washington County Fire Rescue had established
communications with the victim and provided the victims companions with rescue
tools, two-way communications equipment, and atmospheric monitoring equipment
with which they began to chip away at the rock structures entrapping him.
As technical rescue specialists from Frederick Montgomery County
As the rescuers prepared to enter - the associates with the
victim radioed that he was free and would begin to work out to the cave
entrance. Two rescuers from Montgomery
County
The victim exited the cave at roughly 10:15pm and just less than 5 hours since the first 9-1-1 call was made. The victim was
transported to R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore
Fire Rescue units gathered equipment and returned to service. Please click on photo above to go to our set on Flickr. Photos Courtesy of MCFRS
4 comments:
By "associates with the victim," are you referring to the volunteer cavers who, mostly unattributed in your story, helped rescue the patient? Or to the patient's three caving companions?
If MCFR didn't proceed more than 100 feet inside the cave, who took the photos of the patient which you have posted? The photographer deserves credit.
EXCELLENT WORK! note to author: most rescue organizations refer to him as the 'patient' not the 'victim'.
What about the cavers who actually accessed the patient, and operated the air chisel to get him out?
All,
To answer some of the comments:
3 of the associates were parts of the victim’s original party and 2 others arrived part way through the incident. First responders provided the tools/equipment and guidance. Team effort by all who were there.
Yes – the 4 pictures of him in the cave are from the victim’s associates /co-cavers. If any of you have the names please pass along and we can credit individually.
@Mike – victim and/or patient are widely used terms by fire and rescue agencies. It varies and at the end of the day both would be considered accurate for use for this.
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