BOSTON --
Six men and women riding together on a single all-terrain vehicle were injured when they tumbled down the side of a cliff in South Hadley Sunday morning, a local fire official said.
Chief David Keefe, a firefighter in the town's second district, said at least two of the ATV riders were critically injured when the vehicle drove over the cliff at about 2:22 a.m. Keefe said a group of 55 rescuers searched the side of the approximately 700-foot tall cliff for several hours to find the four men and two women, who range in age from 20 to 35 years old.
Two of the riders were taken to Holyoke Hospital, and the other four were transported to a local trauma center. Their conditions were not released, although Keefe said one of the victims was less seriously injured than the others because he did not fall the entire length of the cliff face. Keefe said he may have been able to jump off of the ATV before it drove over the side of the cliff.
Keefe said the group was riding through a wooded area about one mile away from the intersection of Prince and Hadley streets, near Holyoke Range State Park, when the accident occurred. He said ATV riders often drive down the hiking trails in the area or pass through sections of the forest that are cleared out for high-tension power lines.
Keefe said the group was riding on a large ATV, but he believed the vehicle may have been loaded beyond its capacity.
Pearl Street and South Hadley Street, South HadleySix men and women riding together on a single all-terrain vehicle were injured when they tumbled down the side of a cliff in South Hadley Sunday morning, a local fire official said. -72.5927942.2835701184107361223049969
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