Multiple Rescues in One Week at Hudson Valley Waterfall

Up to twenty people were rescued in separate incidents.

A crazy week for the City of Kingston Fire Department Rope Rescue Team as they responded to two separate incidents at a popular waterfall and cliff diving spot in the Catskills. The first incident on Tuesday shortly after 3 pm saw the rescue of multiple individuals trapped on rocks in the area of Fawns Leap on Route 23A in Hunter, NY.

Also See: Hooley on the Hudson 2023 Set for Kingston, NY

There was word of possibly two separate incidents as responders arrived on the scene, involving people trapped by rising stream levels. Crews rescued 9 individuals in the area of Rat's Hole on Rt 23A, at the same time over at Fawn's Leap, another rescue was made of 10 individuals, 2 of which were in immediate danger of being swept downstream by the rushing water. This rescue involved sending a responder down a roughly 30-foot vertical drop utilizing ropes towards the rushing waters below where the victims were located. In total, 19 individuals were rescued on Tuesday with help from several area agencies.

On Wednesday, in the same area of Fawn's Leap, at approximately 5:00 pm the Kingston Fire Department was requested under mutual aid with the rope rescue team to assist in the rescue of an injured patient. A different situation, however, from the Tuesday incident with the people trapped by flood waters, as the flood waters had since receded and the firefighters had to now rescue the injured individual from the streambed. Responders were lowered down to the injured individual and assisted in getting them to a waiting ambulance up the roadway after about 2 hours.

Officials say that these incidents are a very real reminder to monitor local weather conditions, particularly when near waterways. Heavy rain can quickly raise stream levels to extremely dangerous levels.

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