On October 8, 1997 at 8:35 PM, the Glasgow Life Saving and First Aid Crew responded to the Devil's Marbleyard for a 21-year-old male who had fallen on some rocks. EMT-CT Jeff Berry, EMT-ST Mickey Cochrane, and EMT's Larry Mayo, Greg Hemmings, Damon Woody, and William Wheeler initially responded to the scene. They were told by the climber's companions that he fell about 30' off a cliff and landed on the rocks below. They told the rescuers that might have broken his arms and legs. The rescuers then geared up and prepared to take the long climb to where the victim was.
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The Devil's Marbleyard
The Devil's Marbleyard, a natural formation on the mountainside, was formed over the millennia by erosion and contains rocks ranging in size from small pebbles to boulders the size of houses. It is a frequent site of trail walkers and amateur rock climbers. The trail itself leading to the Marbleyard is not without difficulty. It is approximately 1- ½ miles from the head of the trail to the beginning of the Marbleyard.
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The trail leading to the Marbleyard started off smooth and relatively flat.
The Devil's Marbleyard stretches across about 100 acres with a 20-45 degree incline. What we did not know at the time, was that the victim was on the far end of the Marbleyard, away from the trail. We were told that he was next to the trail. EMT-CT Jeff Berry went on ahead with one of the victim's friends back to the victim so that he can assess the injuries and treat for shock. EMT's Greg Hemmings and Damon Woody went on ahead with the first aid kit, radios, and flashlights. Darkness was soon approaching and we did not want to try to find him in the night. EMT's Larry Mayo and William Wheeler were next to climb the trail. They carried the Stokes stretcher, a backboard with straps, and a C-collar. They also brought a cellular phone, an oxygen bottle, flashlights, blankets, flares, and a good supply of rope. They began the ascent at 8:45 PM.
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About halfway up, the trail became more rocky and steep.
Within an hour, Jeff made contact with the patient. He radioed for us to call Pegasus, (University of Virginia's Trauma Helicopter), for an airlift. However, they advised us that it was impossible due to an approaching thunderstorm. It was now 9:30 PM. Jeff radioed for us to try to hurry, as the patient had lost consciousness briefly and was beginning to experience the early stages of hypothermia. Greg and Damon who left after Jeff, but without the benefit of a guide, were crossing over some rocks in an attempt to find Jeff and the patient. Neither one had known that the patient was over 500' from the trail. Larry and William were making slow progress over the rocky terrain. Neither one did not know where the patient was either. By now, darkness had completely enveloped the mountain, which made the climb more dangerous. A short time later, Greg and Damon met up with Larry and William. All were tired and thirsty. No one had thought to bring water. Again, they thought that was going to be a simple rescue. A call for additional manpower was made, and Company 2, (Glasgow Fire Department), was toned out for assistance.
While Damon, Greg, Larry, and William were resting and waiting for Company's 2 arrival, they scouted the immediate area for an access point toward Jeff and the patient. They radioed Jeff to ask one of the other climbers if he could come to the trail and lead us toward the scene. Jeff radioed back and said that two of them were coming down.
A survey of the area did not reveal any point of entry, so the decision was made to carry on. Several minutes later, the first members of Company 2 arrived. They brought more flashlights and rope. Unfortunately, no one had thought to tell them to bring water. Another call, this one for our squad, was made. EMT-CT Danny Smith and EMT James Smith, both now off from work, responded to the scene. The time was now 11:23 PM.
A cool breeze now rustled the leaves overhead. This change of the weather brought mixed emotions from the rescuers. At last, they were cooling off, but it also meant that they will soon be rained on by the approaching thunderstorm. The rescuers climbed the trail for another hour or so, while shouting for Jeff. This was done to gauge the distance from the scene to our present location. The trail led, for a while, then turn sharply away. They had no landmarks on which to guess their exact location on the map of the trail. Once it was determined that they were heading away from Jeff, they turned back.
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The outcropping of rocks where the rescue was made from.
Now the thunderstorm arrived. The smooth rocks, now slick with rain and mud, made the climb especially dangerous. The rescuers had, at last, found a possible crossing through the Marbleyard. Several members of Company 2 ventured out onto an outcropping of rocks. The other two climbers had now arrived and they told the rescuers that the victim was "just beyond those rocks" that the fire fighters were currently climbing. Unfortunately, the precipice that they found themselves on was deemed to dangerous to effect a rescue from. Jeff and the patient was several hundred yards away. A decision was made to find another, more safer, location. The time was now 1:46 AM.
At this time, Danny and James arrived. They had brought their vertical rescue gear and more importantly, water and Gatorade. This was distributed among the rescuers and eagerly consumed. After the rest, they resumed the climb down the trail.
Continuing slowly over the slick rocks, the rescuers found another outcropping that was previously unnoticed in the darkness. One of the victim's friends and a Company 2 member climbed up the steep, rocky face. The 200' climb was met with success. Jeff and the patient was now only 120 yards away. Several Company 2 and Rescue Squad members climbed up the face at varying levels to ferry up the equipment to the top and beyond. Fully equipped, several rescuers crawled their way over the rocks to Jeff and the patient. It was now 3:16 AM.
The rescue team made contact with Jeff. The patient was stabilized and placed in the Stokes basket. Getting him over the rocks without causing undue motion proved to be extremely difficult. He was hand carried most of the time. However, due to the terrain, he had to be pushed over some rocks while the rescuers found their footing. They made it back to the top of the outcropping. The Stokes stretcher was tied top to bottom and he was roped down to the waiting rescuers at the trail. The time was now 4:56 AM.
The patient had injuries to his head, arms, and legs. He had several lacerations about his head and arms. His left leg was broken. He was cold, wet, and in a great deal of pain. Several rescuers continued to carry him off the mountain, while the remainder of the team gathered up the equipment and packed it. By now the storm had passed and the patient had blankets wrapped up about him without danger of them getting soaked.
Several of the rescuers suffered more than a few bumps, scrapes, and cuts to their legs and arms while carrying the patient down. The trail provided no firm footing and it was not wide enough to accommodate three people walking side-by-side. To climb down the trail would require extreme caution and concentration.
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The stream, about a third of the way up, blocked further ATV travel due to large rocks on the trail.
We had two All Terrain Vehicles parked across a stream and waiting for our arrival. The stream was a third of the way up the trail and was impossible to cross on the ATV. After we crossed the stream, the patient was secured to the first ATV, and the equipment was loaded onto the second. The driver of the first ATV, knowing that each bump brought pain to the patient, drove slowly to ensure a smooth ride. Now that it was becoming daylight, Jeff made another call to UVA to request an airlift from Pegasus. They advised us that they will arrive in 30 minutes. It was now 5:49 AM.
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The patient, now stabilized, was transferred over to the care of the Pegasus Air Crew.
They finally exited the trail at 6:26 AM. The patient was given an IV of normal saline and treated for shock. The ambulance carrying him went directly to the Natural Bridge Learning Center, (The landing zone for Pegasus), and transferred him to the waiting air medics. They transported him to UVA Trauma Center where he is expected to make a full recovery.
-- Written By: William Wheeler