Post by Paul Sheppard on Jul 7, 2019 6:32:59 GMT -5
Wolfe County Search And Rescue chief recovering, team evaluating equipment after big fall
Posted: 4:41 PM, Jul 07, 2019
Updated: 5:08 AM, Jul 08, 2019
By: Kylen Mills
Posted: 4:41 PM, Jul 07, 2019
Updated: 5:08 AM, Jul 08, 2019
By: Kylen Mills
WOLFE COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — The chief of the Wolfe County Search and Rescue team is grateful to be alive, and grateful for his crew this Sunday night.
He took a big fall while repelling during a rescue mission at the Red River Gorge last week. But his team sprang into action, and he’s now back home recovering.
“The doctor told my wife at the ER that I shouldn't be there. He said I should be dead,” said John May.
On July 4th May responded to a pretty typical call about a lost hiker near Chimney Rock.
“We had trained at this location in the past several times, so we were very familiar with it,” said May.
May said the fastest way to get to this hiker was to repel down to her.
“As soon as I started over the cliff, I realized that I was having difficulty in controlling my descent. So the speed, normally you can lock yourself off and stop, but in this case I was unable to stop. As I continued down the cliff, the speed kept picking up,” said May.
He was now in a free fall situation.
May said he went through a tree and hit the ground really hard.
He played through the entire traumatic scenario in a detailed Facebook post.
He took a big fall while repelling during a rescue mission at the Red River Gorge last week. But his team sprang into action, and he’s now back home recovering.
“The doctor told my wife at the ER that I shouldn't be there. He said I should be dead,” said John May.
On July 4th May responded to a pretty typical call about a lost hiker near Chimney Rock.
“We had trained at this location in the past several times, so we were very familiar with it,” said May.
May said the fastest way to get to this hiker was to repel down to her.
“As soon as I started over the cliff, I realized that I was having difficulty in controlling my descent. So the speed, normally you can lock yourself off and stop, but in this case I was unable to stop. As I continued down the cliff, the speed kept picking up,” said May.
He was now in a free fall situation.
May said he went through a tree and hit the ground really hard.
He played through the entire traumatic scenario in a detailed Facebook post.
Read More with Video: www.lex18.com/wolfe-county-search-and-rescue-chief-recovering-team-evaluating-equipment-after-big-fall
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Rescuer needs rescuing in Red River Gorge
Matthew RandPosted: Sat 11:26 PM, Jul 06, 2019
Updated: Sat 11:54 PM, Jul 06, 2019
WOLFE COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) - The Wolfe County Search and Rescue team had to rescue one of their own after a rappeling mishap in Red River Gorge.
The team was searching for a lost hiker near the Chimney Top Rock overlook in Wolfe County July 4, following the successful rescue of three other hikers earlier that day.
Deputy Chief Mike Hackett said the team was preparing to rappel off a cliff near the overlook, deemed the fastest path to the hiker in the valley below.
"This was a spot that we actually have trained for, I would bet five or six times before, so this wasn't anything new," Hackett said.
On the way down, Chief John May encountered an "unanticipated increase in speed."
"It wasn't a free fall. It was a relatively slowed descent, but it was obviously faster than a controlled rappel," Hackett said.
Hackett said May tried to slow his descent, but it was too late. He hit the ground hard. Hackett estimates the drop was between 50 and 80 feet.
The rescue team immediately sprang into action, working—in the dark—to rescue one of their own.
The team was searching for a lost hiker near the Chimney Top Rock overlook in Wolfe County July 4, following the successful rescue of three other hikers earlier that day.
Deputy Chief Mike Hackett said the team was preparing to rappel off a cliff near the overlook, deemed the fastest path to the hiker in the valley below.
"This was a spot that we actually have trained for, I would bet five or six times before, so this wasn't anything new," Hackett said.
On the way down, Chief John May encountered an "unanticipated increase in speed."
"It wasn't a free fall. It was a relatively slowed descent, but it was obviously faster than a controlled rappel," Hackett said.
Hackett said May tried to slow his descent, but it was too late. He hit the ground hard. Hackett estimates the drop was between 50 and 80 feet.
The rescue team immediately sprang into action, working—in the dark—to rescue one of their own.
Read More with Video: www.wkyt.com/content/news/Rescuer-needs-rescuing-in-Red-River-Gorge-512312511.html