(Putnam County Rescue Squad Facebook)
Members of the Putnam County Rescue Squad’s High Angle Rope Rescue Team assisted with the rope rescue of two victims who fell at Burgess Falls State Park. According to reports, on Tuesday an adult male and an adult female violated park rules and walked past the barriers to rock climb. The pair soon got into trouble and the man fell suffering severe leg and pelvic injuries. The emergency call went out around 1pm and Putnam County EMS (TN) and Rescue Squad personnel made initial access by rappel, while Sparta-White County Rescue Squad personnel approached by boat and remained as a downstream safety. The Putnam County Rescue Squad posted to Facebook that the swift-moving high water level made for significant challenges to the rescue. Additional State Park rangers and Chattanooga Hamilton County Rescue Service quickly responded to assist. The man and woman were both safely rescued. She was treated at the scene. The man had to be flown by helicopter to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for his serious injuries.