During the summer, West Virginia’s Summersville Lake is a popular spot for boating, camping, and even rock climbing. But when lake levels drop in winter, it can become a bog of thick, sticky mud.
That may not sound dangerous, but it posed a significant risk for a hiker who tried to cross the lake on Tuesday. Stuck waist-deep in the mud with no way to escape, the stranded man was eventually rescued in a complex operation involving Fayette County’s vertical rescue team.
Rescuers initially tried to walk to the stranded hiker, who was on the southern side of Hughes Bridge. Low water and thick mud thwarted their efforts, according to a post from the Summersville Fire Department. “It’s essentially quicksand,” WCHS Eyewitness News reported. “You step on it, and you start moving, and it just sucks you in.” Watch the rescue video
The Fayette County vertical rescue team descended from a nearby bridge to reach the stranded hiker; photos published by the Summersville Fire Department show at least a dozen people assisting in the rescue effort. At one point, a group of seven people worked together to carry the stranded man to safety.
“We would like to thank everyone who came to help in this call,” The hiker was taken to a nearby hospital, where he’s expected to make a full recovery, according to WCHS News. “We are very blessed to have such good partners in our region who will come at a moment’s notice.”
The Fayette County vertical rescue team, with members scaling down from a nearby bridge to assist the stranded hiker (photo/Summersville Fire Department).
So it was time to call in the vertical rescue team. The team was able to rig together an operation from the bridge and lower a stretcher to the hiker. Photos published by the Summersville Fire Department show at least a dozen people assisting in the rescue effort. At one point, a group of seven people worked together to carry the stranded man to safety.
“We would like to thank everyone who came to help in this call,” The hiker was taken to a nearby hospital, where he’s expected to make a full recovery, according to WCHS News. “We are very blessed to have such good partners in our region who will come at a moment’s notice.”
The Fayette County vertical rescue team, with members scaling down from a nearby bridge to assist the stranded hiker (photo/Summersville Fire Department).
So it was time to call in the vertical rescue team. The team was able to rig together an operation from the bridge and lower a stretcher to the hiker. Photos published by the Summersville Fire Department show at least a dozen people assisting in the rescue effort. At one point, a group of seven people worked together to carry the stranded man to safety.
“We would like to thank everyone who came to help in this call,” The hiker was taken to a nearby hospital, where he’s expected to make a full recovery, according to WCHS News. “We are very blessed to have such good partners in our region who will come at a moment’s notice.”