Camden Fire, rescuers come to aid of State Park hiker

Fri, 10/26/2018 - 7:15pm

    CAMDEN — Camden firefighters, Northeast Ambulance, and mountain rescue personnel came to the rescue of a hiker at Camden Hills State Park, Friday, Oct. 26.

    The 66-year-old Belfast woman had been hiking alone on the Megunticook Trail when a slip on an icy surface left her immobile from leg injuries, according to Camden Fire Chief Chris Farley.

    The unidentified woman was not carrying a cell phone, relying instead upon another hiker, who happened to be descending, to call 911.

    At 4 p.m., as dusk darkened the sky, nine firefighters walked up toward an area near Ocean Lookout, which is the location given by the caller. At that location, the group split and expanded their search for the woman, who was eventually found at a different location by the two Northeast Ambulance personnel.

    For more than an hour, the nine firefighters took turns carrying the patient in a Stokes carrying basket until they reached the ambulance at about 6:20 p.m.

    Responding firefighters included Todd Anderson, Matt Heath, Clint Beverage, Jon Ward, Jack Hauprich, Isaiah Backiel, Earl Holte and Jack Orestis. Camden Police Officer Paul Thompson, as well ad Knox County Communications Center dispatchers Coombs and Bathgate assisted, as did Charlotte Duncan and Steve Bartley.