First responders staged a dramatic rescue Thursday of a man stranded down a steep, rocky embankment for days in Suffren.
According to police, a couple told one of their officers on patrol that they'd spotted a man in the river near Tilton Road, but that he wasn't visible from the road.
Authorities say a 47-year-old man from Montebello told police he'd fallen off an old train bridge just north of Lafayette Avenue and had been stuck for three days.
Responders say bringing the man to safety was not easy because of the location and how seriously he was hurt. "Due to the extent of his injuries, we could not get him up the very steep embankment safely, so we contacted EMS and the fire department," says Suffren Police Chief Clarke Osborn.
"Using a Stokes basket and some ropes, we were able to get the party up the embankment safely," says Suffren Deputy Fire Jeremy Kaufer.
The police chief says the first responders got lucky on the day of the rescue. Because of the small amount of rain in recent days, he says, the river level was low and didn’t have strong rapids, which would have complicated the mission.
Officials believed the man injured his back and leg and may have been suffering from hypothermia. He was rushed to Westchester Medical Center for treatment.
Police say the incident is still under investigation.