Text of press release sent to the Bloomingtonian:
“Injured Hiker Rescued From Forest
Around 4:30 pm yesterday afternoon (9-30-20) the Monroe Fire Protection District responded to an injured hiker in the Charles Deam Wilderness area around Lake Monroe.
Firefighters responded to the Charles Deam Wilderness area and began to attempt to locate the injured hiker. Fire personnel were able to make cell phone contact with the hiker which helped determine where they were located on the trail. The department’s UTV was utilized to take firefighters and ambulance crews back to the patient. However, due to the terrain the side by side could only travel so far before emergency personnel had to finish the trip on foot while also carrying all the equipment they might need. Once the hiker was found and evaluated, it was determined they needed to be carried out on a stokes basket. Additional firefighters and DNR officers were requested on the scene to assist with carrying the hiker out of the woods. By the time the hiker was found and loaded up the sun had set making the trip out of the woods even more difficult as rescuers had little to no light. Firefighters, EMS personnel, and DNR officers worked together to carry the hiker out as some held flashlights to light a way for rescuers. Emergency crews carried the hiker and her dog approximately a mile and a half to the waiting UTV were the hiker could then be driven out the rest of the way.
Agencies responding to the scene were Monroe Fire Protection District, IU Health EMTs, and Department of Natural Resource Officers.
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