Pa. Firefighters Overcome Terrain in Dirt Bike Rescue

Sept. 02--UPPER BURRELL -- As difficult and dangerous as firefighting can be, most buildings are comfortably along the sides of roads or off of driveways.

That wasn't the case with what firefighters had to contend with Saturday, when they had to launch themselves deep into the woods off Myers Drive to rescue a man who was badly hurt after losing control of his dirt bike.

One Upper Burrell firefighter suffered a minor injury in the rescue effort when the all-terrain vehicle on which he was riding slid and rolled over.

It took firefighters using ATVs about an hour to get 21-year-old Cole Briscoe, who state police said is from the Vandergrift area, out of the woods and into an ambulance.

He was flown to UPMC Presbyterian hospital in Pittsburgh, said Upper Burrell fire Chief Curt Britton.

Britton called the rescue "backbreaking" work.

"It was all uphill getting out of there," Britton said. "He was a half-mile down in the middle of the woods."

According to Britton, Briscoe was riding his dirt bike up a hill when it got away from him, and he tumbled about 15 feet back down.

The chief said Briscoe broke his right leg and suffered wounds to his face along with bumps and bruises.

He described Briscoe's injuries as moderate, but not life threatening.

He was conscious and appeared to be in pain when placed into the ambulance.

Briscoe was riding with four others. None was wearing helmets or any other protective gear, according to Britton.

The others in the group called for help around 5:30 p.m. and met firefighters on Myers Drive, near Kelly Lane. Briscoe was about a half-mile into the woods from there.

Firefighters used ATVs belonging to the Upper Burrell, Markle and Sardis fire departments to get to him.

Upper Burrell firefighter Rick Stoltz was driving one of them. He described the terrain as steep, rocky and "not real great."

"Going down, we slid about the whole way down," he said.

Stoltz said firefighters train for such rescues.

Britton said the trail is clay, and was slick from Saturday's rain.

"It's so wet," Britton said. "It's like ice going down the hill."

It was Britton's brother, Upper Burrell 2nd Lt. Shane Britton, who suffered an apparent minor injury to his left ankle when the vehicle he was riding on overturned. He was taken by ambulance to be checked out.

Firefighters used their ATVs to slowly bring the Briscoe most of the way out of the woods, but had to carry him by hand on a backboard the last stretch because the hill up to Myers Drive was too steep.

Brian Rittmeyer is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at [email protected] or 724-226-4701.

Copyright 2012 - The Valley News-Dispatch, Tarentum, Pa.