The City of Newburgh Fire Department’s Rope Rescue Team responded to a serious car accident with a person reportedly ejected from a vehicle in Deerpark last night.
The Cuddleback Fire Department, located around ten miles north of Port Jervis, was dispatched to a serious car accident on Oakland Valley Road at around 9:00 pm. The scene was on a road in a heavily wooded area alongside the Bush Kill Creek near the Neversink River Unique Area, which is a large gorge.
The Assistant Chief from the Cuddleback Fire Department arrived on the scene and found a vehicle that had rolled over with “significant blood” around the vehicle. The patient was nowhere in sight.
Firefighters from the Cuddleback and Huguenot Fire Departments began conducting a search of the area to locate the patient, who they believed was ejected from the vehicle. A medevac helicopter was launched to respond to the area.
The City of Newburgh Fire Department was among one of numerous agencies called to respond to the scene with their Rope Rescue Team. Joining Newburgh in the response were Rope Rescue Teams from the West Point, Sparrowbush, and Port Jervis Fire Departments. The Orange County Technical Rescue Team was called to respond. The Otisville and Port Jervis Fire Departments provided additional fire apparatus and manpower.
Firefighters combed the area but were unable to locate the patient, despite significant blood in the vehicle. The incident commander began releasing fire departments and cancelled the medevac helicopter.
After most of the fire departments and Rope Rescue Teams were returned to their respective fire stations, the remaining firefighters on the scene reported they may have found the patient. The fire departments that were cancelled were called to respond back to the scene.
Shortly after, the patient was located and the responding fire units were again cancelled. The incident commander reported that police took the patient into custody. Further details are not yet available.
