Montclair Firefighters Make Late-Night Rescue After Fall Down Steep Embankment

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Firefighters worked into the overnight hours rescuing someone who fell down a steep embankment near a set of railroad tracks in Montclair, authorities say.

The Montclair Fire Department released the following details about the incident:

“On the evening of July 28 into the early morning of July 29, firefighters carried out a successful low-angle rope rescue after a report of a person down a steep embankment along inactive railroad tracks opposite 123 Highland Avenue. MFD units located the patient roughly 20 to 25 feet down a steep embankment, in and out of consciousness, and quickly determined that a low-angle rescue would be necessary.”

It was “too far down and too steep” for a simple carry-out, according to Montclair fire officials.

Here’s what happened next, authorities said:

“Firefighters established an anchor point using Truck 1 and rigged a 3:1 hauling system to safely manage the rope rescue. A stokes basket and additional firefighters were lowered down the embankment to reach the patient. Once packaged securely in the basket, the patient was raised back up the embankment using the hauling system.”

The Glen Ridge Ambulance Unit then took over care of the patient, Montclair fire officials said.

“This is the kind of call that doesn’t make the news, but takes real training: rope systems, patient packaging and working a technical rescue in the dark,” the MFD reported, crediting the Glen Ridge Police Department and ambulance unit for their aid at the scene.

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