CALCUTTA, Ohio (WKBN) — After rescuing a hunter who had fallen from a cliff in Beaver Creek State Park Saturday, the Calcutta search and rescue team is promoting hunting safety.
“There was a vertical drop of like 20 feet but it was very, very steep prior to the 20 feet, so all in all, probably 40 to 50 feet,” said Calcutta Volunteer Fire Chief Dave McMcoy.
It was suspected the hunter had a fractured leg or foot, along with a fractured rib. At some point, after crews got to the victim, he started to deteriorate.
“He actually fell into a small stream, down on the back side of Horsemen’s Camp, so now he’s soaking wet,” McCoy said.
The hunter was taken to Saint Elizabeth Hospital in Boardman.
Incidents like this one can happen to hunters and a simple way to get first responders to your location is your cell phone.
“The 911 center is able to, what’s called pinging your cell phone, to figure out your exact location or closest address of your location. That gives us a better idea of where to start searching for you,” said Calcutta Fire Lt. Randy Schneider.
The cell phone ping for the incident at Beaver Creek got rescue crews within 75 yards of the call. Chief McCoy also says to let a family or friend know exactly where you’re going to be hunting in case something does happen — and know your surroundings.
In the case of this past weekend, Chief McCoy knew the area well enough to get to the victim.
“He [Cheif McCoy] was able to remember where one trail comes down to where he [the victim] was at, from that one neighborhood, then over here is the Horsemen’s Camp, so we came around and took the trails down to get him next to the creek and extract him from the scene down there,” said Lt. Schneider.
