Hiker In Southington Rescued Off Icy Cliff: SFD

SOUTHINGTON, CT — Firefighters swarmed one of Southington's more scenic — and dangerous — locales Thursday to rescue an injured hiker high atop an icy cliff.

At 12:35 p.m. Thursday, the Southington Fire Department said it was called to Wassel Reservoir off Caretaker Road for a report of an injured hiker on the trail there.

Assisting in the search for the hiker, the SFD said, was the Southington Police Department and its drone.

Meanwhile, dispatchers were able to obtain coordinates from the 911 caller, relaying the information to responders, wrote the SFD in a statement.

Eventually, firefighters were able hike a steep cliff to the trail on top of a large hill, finding the patient adjacent to the reservoir along the icy ridgeline with a lower leg injury, firefighters said.

"Medical care was provided by fire personnel and the victim was packaged for removal in a stokes basket," wrote the SFD Thursday.

"During this process, personnel simultaneously set up for a high-angle rope evacuation off the cliff face."

Rescuers were able to lower the victim from the cliff to the ground and tranferred to an ambulance and taken to New Britain General Hospital for treatment.

The SFD said the entire operation lasted an hour, crediting a 2019 grant for providing the necessary training for such a hazardous rescue in an unforgiving environment.

According to the SFD, a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant for technical rope rescue training — along with a donation from the Ragged Mountain Foundation — helped provide the necessary training and equipment.

"This funding greatly enhanced the department's technical rescue skills, ensuring that accidents such as this are handled safely and with expert proficiency," wrote the SFD.