Mountain Rescue Team Saves Woman Who Fell From a Bluff on Raccoon Mountain

It took specially trained Chattanooga firefighters to rescue a woman who fell from a bluff on Raccoon Mountain Thursday morning.
The victim slipped and fell more than 50 feet, but her two companions went for help.
They say she’s recovering at the hospital.

Raccoon Mountain is the site of the TVA pumped storage generating system, but its also popular with walkers and bikers.
It can also be treacherous to those who are not aware of the steep places.
A 32-year old woman found out the hard way. She fell more than 50 feet off a bluff.

ASHLEY MAY, CFD, BATTALION CHIEF “Roughly 60 before she hit the ground…and then rolled and hit some trees and rocks as she went down probably another 40 feet…maybe a total around that 100 mark”.

Chattanooga fire fighters brought their Urban Search and rescue team to recover the victim.

CAPTAIN ROBERT TALLANT, CFD “This one is very man-power intensive…it takes a lot of folks to do this…a lot of trained folks to do this.”

After getting the 32-year-old woman secured in a Stokes basket, the USAR team used a rope and pulley system to help them carry the patient safely up the steep terrain. The patient was then transported on an all terrain rescue vehicle to an ambulance with Hamilton County EMS.
From there she was taken to a Life Force helicopter and rushed to the hospital.
Two friends who were with the victim said they were just walking.

CAPT. ROBERT TALLANT, CFD “It’s becoming fall..and a big thing right now..the leaves obscure everything. You can’t see where you’re walking…I’m sure this is probably what happened to this lady.”

A spokesman says the woman had an injured leg and was in a lot of pain, bur her injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. The entire rescue operation took about an hour-and-a-half to complete
The incident on Raccoon Mountain actually occurred on TVA property in Marion County.