HOLYOKE — A woman survived after falling about 70 feet from a Mount Tom ridge Friday morning, prompting a rescue mission in which police and firefighters from across the region hiked about a half mile up the mountain to bring her down safely.
Police and fire rescue crews from Holyoke and Easthampton joined the Western Mass Technical Rescue Team, State Police and the Department of Conservation and Recreation in responding to the Holyoke side of Mount Tom at approximately 10:15 a.m. after two hikers saw a woman they believed fell from the mountain, Holyoke Fire Capt. David Rex said.
“We were lucky that a couple of hikers actually passed her by and they were able to alert us to her position. A couple of us made our way in; we found her about 70 feet down from where she had fallen. We were able to stabilize her,” Rex said from the scene. “We called in the Western Mass Technical Rescue Team — they’re made up of members of all departments across Western Mass. With their help and everybody who [responded], we were able to get her out from that position. Currently she’s being walked down the mountain in a Stokes basket. She is alert and oriented. She does have some minor injuries, but it’s a good outcome all the way around.”
Rex said the hiker complained of pain and would be transported to the hospital to be evaluated.
Although it’s uncertain what caused the woman to fall, Rex pointed out that she fell from a portion of the mountain comprising shale rock at an approximately 70-degree slope. As it had recently rained, he said the terrain was slippery.
“Unfortunately, it rained last night. Mount Tom is all shale, so it can be slippery. There are a lot of wet spots. That’s what the crews are dealing with now, even as we walk back and forth, what you thought was dry before is actually muddy now,” he said. “Water leaches right out of the ground, coming out of those rocks. I can’t speculate as to why or how, but it’s something that we’re prepared for.”
Rex expressed gratitude for the professionalism and expertise of all who assisted with what he described as a “challenging” rescue.
“You have to stay calm, cool and collected for them. She was talking to us, which is always a plus, so you know, we knew right away that we were going to have a positive outcome. We did our assessments and we stabilized her as best we could in the position we were at —about a 70-degree incline,” Rex said. “It was a tough spot to be in, but we practice for this, we train for this. Everybody that showed up today has some sort of search-and-rescue or tech rescue background, so everybody was able to assist.”
