photo by Bruce Garner
A man visiting Raccoon Mountain Caverns Friday afternoon reportedly twisted his ankle and needed help getting out. The Chattanooga Fire Department received the call for help at 3:30 p.m. and responded with three fire companies.
Battalion Chief Chris Willmore said the man was more than a half mile down in the cavern, so firefighters had to go in and get him.
Personnel with Chattanooga-Hamilton County Rescue's Cave-Cliff Team provided assistance, along with Dr. Steve Perlaky, who worked with the rescue personnel down in the cave to provide medical treatment on the patient.
Chief Willmore said the patient was a large man and it took three hours to get him out. The rescue personnel carried him in a Stokes rescue basket part of the way, and when there was room, the patient was able to walk with some assistance. Once out, the patient declined to be transported by EMS to a hospital, but he told firefighters that he might go to a hospital in a personal vehicle to be checked out.