Woonsocket Family Rescued From Purgatory Chasm

A 56-year-old Woonsocket woman and her four grandchildren were hospitalized yesterday after being lost in the forest at Purgatory Chasm State Reservation for more than an hour, according to a press release by Massachusetts State Police. 

Officers received a call from a cell phone at around 2:30 p.m. from a woman who said she could hear passing cars and believed her group was near the highway, but they could not find their way out.

Troopers from the Millbury barracks lined Route 146 along the fence separating the highway from the reservation and directed the family to safety with sirens. As the troopers were waiting for cutting tools to get through a fence, however, one of the children collapsed. When they scaled the fence and to perform first aid, the grandmother also collapsed. She was also given first aid.

All five members of the family including a 14-year-old boy, a 12-year-old girl, an 11-year-old girl, and a 7-year-old boy were taken to UMASS Memorial Hospital in Worcester, MA, where they were treated for dehydration and cuts. Police have not released the names of the victims.

The quarter mile landmark in Sutton, MA where the family was found offers rock climbing and hiking trails is a popular local destination for day trips. Temperatures this afternoon were in the 80s around the time of the incident and no information was available as to whether or not the family had brought water or supplies on their hike.