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Cooperative efforts rescue man who fell

By ZACH BENOIT
Of The Gazette Staff

A 60-year-old man was flown to a Billings hospital late Friday morning after falling off a 30- to 40-foot cliff on the banks of the Clarks Fork River south of Laurel.

Yellowstone County Sheriff's Sgt. Kent O'Donnell said the man, whose name has not been released, probably fractured his hip in the fall, but a condition update wasn't available Friday night.

The man was working on an irrigation pump when he fell to an embankment on the river, about a half-mile south of the Yellowstone River. O'Donnell said the fall occurred at 7 or 8 a.m.

"We estimate he was there for about four hours before help arrived," O'Donnell said.

The Sheriff's Office received a call at about 11 a.m. when a resident who lives upriver heard the man's cries for help.

In Laurel, the CHS Refinery spill and rescue emergency response team was conducting high-angle rope rescue training exercises when the call came in.

Laurel Volunteer Fire Department Chief Scott Wilm is a member of the team and said he heard the call over his scanner. He called dispatch and offered the response team's services.

Wilm said they were en route within five minutes with a rescue truck and a boat.

"We're real lucky that Cenex team was training today," O'Donnell said.

With the Sheriff's Office, the response team and a Laurel ambulance crew on hand, they were able to reach the man from above, O'Donnell said. A member of the CHS team rappelled down to the man, Wilm said.

"You hope you never have to do it, but that's what we train to do," Wilm said.

They lowered the man down to the bank, where he was loaded into the CHS boat and ferried across the river. A HELP Flight from St. Vincent's was waiting on the other side.

"It worked out just about as good as you could hope for," O'Donnell said. "Especially with four agencies involved."

Published on Saturday, May 17, 2008.
Last modified on 5/17/2008 at 12:58 am

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Native Montanan said 1 month ago

I'm glad it all worked out for him. I'm curious though why it's always the St. Vincent helecopter that helps these people. What happened to the new Billings Clinic chopper?

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Milkseat said 1 month ago

Native Montana, the hospitals rotate injury victim response. Sometimes the St. V's copter responds, some times it's the Billings Clinic. Sometimes Billings Clinic takes them to St V's and vice-a-versa. This time St. V's responded but the patient was flown to Billings Clinic(which I see Zach did not totally correct-yesterday he mistakenly wrote St. V's but today it's just a "Billings hospital") What is it Zach-there's only two!

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