photo by CFD
The Chattanooga Fire Department rescued a man who suffered serious injuries after a fall at Greenway Farms in Hixson on Tuesday afternoon.
The call came out at 4:36 p.m. to the park in the 4900 block of Gann Store Road. The man was walking a trail when he said the loose ground gave way.
He slipped and fell off the bluff (approximately 30 feet).
He landed partially on the rocks and partially in the water below. He suffered trauma to his chest and his side and firefighters needed to get him out of the woods, which was not an easy task.
Squad 19 (Green Shift) went down the steep trail to get to the injured man, assessed him and started treating him. Squad 7, Ladder 19, Special Operations and Battalion 2 went down and set up a rope system to bring him up and out. They set up a high angle system and once the man was in a Stokes Basket, they used the rope system to bring him out.
Quint 10 brought a UTV to the scene and they got the man out of the woods so he could be loaded into an ambulance. He was taken to the hospital by Hamilton County EMS.
Officials said, "The CFD has worked multiple rescues at this location where people have been badly hurt and first responders have had to conduct dangerous, labor intensive rescue operations. We ask visitors and hikers to be mindful of the dangers of walking trails at all times. Please be aware of your surroundings when hiking with the possibility of loose rock and dirt on the terrain. Wear proper footwear for hiking. Make sure you have a cell phone to call for help if needed."