Boy rescued from injury and freezing conditions
A boy was rescued and flown Saturday to a Pittsburgh hospital after being stranded by injury in the cold in Jackson Township.
Fire, rescue and EMS crews responded to a call around 1:30 p.m. Saturday to an area off Textor School Road, where a boy had fallen and needed assistance.
According to reports between firefighters and Butler County 911 dispatchers, the boy was believed to be 15 years old. He was flown to UPMC Children’s from a landing zone set up at the Seneca Valley School District.
According to Harmony Fire Chief Scott Garing, the boy had fallen due to a dislocated knee, and he was flown because of concerns for hypothermia. The boy’s condition is unknown as of Sunday.
Garing said his crew initially was given two different locations for the boy, and then they had to find the best point of entry.
“It took a little bit of investigation to determine where we should park and how to get there,“ Garing said. ”The snow made everything slippery, and the ice made everything worse.”
Garing said accessibility was an issue, as there were no roads leading to the boy. He said Harmony firefighters attempted to drive their vehicles back, but they got stuck.
Garing said they called Callery Volunteer Fire Company to assist with their UTV. While waiting for Callery’s vehicle, Harmony firefighters walked to the boy with gear to lift and carry him.
Garing said they found the boy in a pool of water on the opposite side of the train tracks from the creek.
"He was lying in about two inches of slush and water,“ Garing said. “He was pretty cold, so we were trying to get him out of there as quick as possible.“
Before they could move the boy, they had to remove the boy’s dog from the situation, according to Garing. Garing said the dog was protective of the boy.
“We couldn’t walk up to him,“ Garing said.
One of the firefighters managed to move the dog away from he boy, and firefighters picked him up. They walked along the tracks until the UTV arrived and carried the boy to the road, where a waiting ambulance took him to the landing zone.
Garing estimated it took about 50 minutes from the time they arrived to at the scene to when the helicopter lifted off.
He said the call featured a lot of adversity, but he was glad to have the support of the Callery firefighters and their equipment. He said he was also glad his crew were well equipped to handle the colder temperatures as they worked.
”You just have to dress appropriately and plan for the conditions,” Garing said. “You just have to prep, plan and prepare.“
