Rescuers Called In At Pocket Wilderness For Man Who Fell From Rope Swing To Rocks; Rescue Takes Hours

Rescuers were called to the Pocket Wilderness at the foot of Mowbray Mountain on Monday afternoon after a 28-year-old man fell 10-12 feet from a rope swing onto rocks. He was finally brought out about 11 p.m. in a rescue involving several local teams.

At 3:30 p.m., a 911 call was received reporting the high fall. The Mowbray Volunteer Fire Department responded and requested a mutual response for additional manpower. The Sequoyah Volunteer Fire Department responded.

First responders and Hamilton County EMS personnel entered the woods around 4 p.m. and made contact with the injured man around 5 p.m.

HCEMS began packing the patient, who had serious injuries.

According to fire officials, the fall victim was swinging from a rope and missed the water. He hit the rocks below instead.

Mowbray Volunteer Fire Department later requested Sale Creek Volunteer Fire Department and Soddy Daisy Fire Department for additional manpower. Chattanooga-Hamilton County Rescue responded as well for rehab.

By 8 p.m., Mowbray VFD had requested additional manpower to relieve rescue units that had been in the woods for hours. Personnel from Dallas Bay VFD and Walden's Ridge Emergency Services were en route to the scene. Fire officials reported to Incident Command that an estimated time of arrival with patient out of the woods would be another three to four hours. 

By 9 p.m., it appeared the injured man would be out of the woods by about 10 p.m.

45-50 emergency services personnel were in the woods assisting in the rescue efforts.