Who: 49-year-old Ed Cooley
Where: Twin Falls, Ozark National Forest, Arkansas
His mistake: He was alone, but he did seem prepared
What happened: A photographer went out on a hike alone to take photos of Twin Falls, part of Richland Creek Wilderness in the Ozark National Forest.
At the top of the falls, the ground under the photographer broke apart and the man fell about 30 feet from the top of the falls down to a rocky area below. Authorities said heavy rains contributed to the ground being unsettled and may have contributed to the man’s fall.
Luckily, the photographer was carrying a SPOT unit and activated it while he lay partially submerged in the water. He suffered a broken ankle, collarbone and pelvis in the fall. But unfortunately for the man, the first responders were not prepared for the scene. There were no EMTs in the group and they were forced to leave the man in the water in fear that they would further injure him if they moved him.
Shortly after, more rescuers arrived who were trained to treat the man. More rescuers arrived until an estimated 75 rescuers from multiple agencies were there. The injured photographer was packaged and placed on a stretcher, then hauled out to safety. The entire rescue took about 20 hours.
Authorities said the SPOT messenger was imperative in this rescue. If it weren’t for the SPOT, the rescue may have been delayed until the next day because of darkness. But since the SPOT was able to transmit the exact location of the photographer, rescue crews were able to find the man right away and give him treatment.
Read the story here.
Recent Comments