Hiker with Severe Head Injury Rescued from Marshlands Conservancy
A hiker with a severe head injury was rescued from the Marshlands Conservancy late Monday afternoon. Multiple agencies responded to the scene at the 147 acre park along the Boston Post Road in Rye, adjacent to the Rye Golf Club and the Jay Heritage Center. The hiker was with his wife on Maries Neck, a cape that is between Greenhaven and Milton Harbor, when he sustained the injury.
The Rye FD was dispatched at 4:46pm Monday, with reports of a fallen hiker with a severe head injury. Already on scene were officers from Rye and Westchester County Police Departments providing initial aid. Rye PD transported additional firefighters and a medic from the Port Chester-Rye-Rye Brook EMS to the scene using an inflatable boat.
The injured hiker was treated at the location, then placed on a backboard and secured in a stokes basket (a portable lightweight stretcher). The response team carried the stokes basket with the hiker back to the main level of the Marshlands, where the hiker was loaded onto a Rye FD UTV (utility terrain vehicle). The UTV transported the hiker (still in the stokes basket) to the Marshlands parking lot, where an ambulance was waiting to transfer them for further medical care. No further information was provided on the condition of the hiker.
In a statement, the Rye FD said “These types of incidents require exceptional teamwork from multiple agencies to effectively manage the situation. We would like to thank all parties involved for their dedication, coordination, and swift action in ensuring the injured hiker received prompt and comprehensive care.”
Mutual aid from Rye Brook and Port Chester stood by in their quarters to cover any additional calls for Rye FD during the operation.
(This story was updated at 1:00pm on 9/3/2024.)
