Cliff Jump Gone Wrong: Heroic Ranger Saves Man in Dramatic Rescue
Off duty New York State Forest Ranger rescues man that jumped off a cliff and injured his back.
A 42-year-old man is lucky to be alive after jumping 50 feet off of a popular cliff-jumping area in Westchester County. Fortunately for the jumper an off-duty Forest Ranger was enjoying time at the same lake Labor Day weekend, realized someone need help and the Forest Ranger sprang into action. Here's what we know.
On Saturday August 30th at approximately 5pm, Forest Ranger Lieutenant Gullen was alerted to someone calling for help near a popular cliff-jumping area in Lewisboro, NY. A 42-year-old jumped from approximately 50 feet and suffered a back injury upon entry into the water.
Lieutenant Gullen jumped off his boat and swam to the injured subject. As he made contact with the subject Gullen performed a spine assessment while the man was still in the water. The injury was determined to be a high-risk injury.
According to a press release, Lt. Gullen borrowed a paddleboard from a nearby group and stabilized the patient in a spine-safe position, then swam the subject approximately 150 yards to the nearest residence where EMS was waiting. EMS transported the subject to the hospital for successful surgery.
Although there is no guarantee of safety, there are several popular cliff-jumping locations throughout New York State.
- Bluff Island - lower Saranac Lake
- Vernooy Kill Fall - Kerhonkson
- Split Rock Hole - Minnewaska State Park
- Fawn's Leap - Catskills
- Calf's Pen - Lake George
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