Difficult rescue saves man who fell down 60-foot embankment near train tracks

WESTMORELAND CO., Pa. — It took nearly three hours to save a man who fell down a 60-foot embankment in Westmoreland County.

Luckily, the man stopped just short of a 20-foot cliff near Norfolk Southern train tracks between two private properties.

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Investigators said he fell down the hillside after he crashed and was thrown off his quad.

Rick Boggio, who lives nearby, was walking along his property near the train tracks when he said he heard soft cries for help -- so he walked up and found the injured man in need of a rescue.

“He said he was scared and thought he was gonna die, but we reassured him he was gonna be alright,” Boggio said.

Boggio called firefighters and stayed with the man until he was rescued.

Crews shut down train traffic, brought in a ladder truck, locked him in and put him in the back of a truck to get him to safety.

Bradenville Volunteer Fire Department Chief Mark Piantine told Channel 11 the rescue itself was one of the more meticulous and challenging ones he’s seen because of everything that had to be involved

He suffered some injuries and was flown to a local hospital but is expected to be OK.

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