On Sunday, emergency crews responded to a serious rescue operation at Long Trail, also known as Peanut Falls, located in the State Park along the Hudson River. The Piermont Fire Department was called for mutual aid by the Sparkill-Palisades Fire District to assist in rescuing a male hiker who had collapsed on the trail.
A total of 14 firefighters from Piermont, equipped with multiple response vehicles, including Chiefs, marine units, and the department’s H.A.R.T. unit, arrived at the scene via the Hudson River. Once ashore, rescue teams trekked into the wooded area, locating the injured man approximately 300 feet up the mountain from the water’s edge. Realizing the need for additional resources due to the challenging terrain, Piermont Fire Department command requested specialized rope rescue teams from the Nyack and Tarrytown Fire Departments.
Before additional teams arrived, members of Piermont’s H.A.R.T. unit had already ascended the mountain and reached the patient. Working alongside EMTs from South Orangetown Ambulance Corps (SOAC), they began preparing the patient for extraction, securing him in a stokes basket. The steep, wet, and hazardous conditions required the assistance of the Nyack and Tarrytown teams, who set up multiple anchor points to safely navigate the difficult descent.
After approximately three hours of coordinated effort, the hiker was successfully lowered from the mountainside and transferred to a waiting ambulance at Pier 701. Due to the severity of the man’s condition, he was transported to Westchester Medical Center with advanced life support (ALS) care provided by South Orangetown Ambulance and Medic-21.
The operation highlighted the collaborative efforts of local fire departments and specialized rescue units, working together to safely remove the patient from the treacherous terrain.
