Oct. 19--Kempton Fire Company volunteers rescued a woman after she fell Saturday about 30 feet down a cliff of the Pinnacle along the Appalachian Trail in Albany Township.
The woman, who appeared to be in her mid-20s, was with a group that went to the popular northeastern Berks County vista for sightseeing when she lost her balance and went over the edge, said Chief Matthew Brett of the Kempton Fire Company.
An emergency medical helicopter took the woman to Lehigh Valley Hospital, near Allentown. Brett didn't know her name, and information on her condition could not be obtained from the hospital.
Brett said the fire company got the call about 12:40 p.m. A team of specially trained Kempton volunteers needed about 45 minutes to get on the mountain. With no roads leading directly to the Pinnacle, they had to travel part of the way by foot.
"The patient's condition was deteriorating as the call progressed," Brett said.
The team needed about 30 additional minutes to get the victim up the cliff, then carried her on a stretcher to the helicopter. That process took another 45 minutes to an hour.
"All carrying," Brett said. "We are lucky we have a helipad on top of the mountain."
Copyright 2013 - Reading Eagle, Pa.
