BETHEL PARK, Pa. — An elderly woman is recovering after falling about 45 feet down a hillside along the Montour Trail Monday afternoon.
Bethel Park Volunteer Fire Chief Russ Beeson said firefighters, police and medics responded after the woman lost her footing and fell down the steep embankment. Crews used specialized rescue equipment to safely bring her back up to the trail.
Beeson shared photos of the rescue with Channel 11 and said his all-volunteer department trains extensively for these types of emergencies.
“We really focus on our training,” Beeson said. “Being 100% volunteers and responding to 100% of the calls in our area is important to us. We could be called to an over-the-hill rescue, a structure fire, a vehicle accident, or a hazmat incident. We train in every discipline.”
According to Beeson, his firefighters average about 2,000 hours of training each year, including multiple hillside rescue exercises.
The woman was taken to a hospital with minor injuries and is expected to be okay.
The chief said while crews were wrapping up this rescue, they were dispatched to another call involving an animal that needed help.
The rescue comes as the department approaches a major milestone. Next year, the all-volunteer fire department will celebrate its 100th anniversary.
“To be 100% volunteer for 100 years, even with today’s volume of calls and everything else, that is something this community can stand on and be proud of,” Beeson said.
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