Bedford first responders late Monday afternoon rescued an out-of-town resident who became disabled while walking the network of wooded trails south of Route 62 near the Concord line.
Police Sgt. Patrick Towle said dispatchers received a 9-1-1 call from the hiker’s cell phone at 4:10 p.m. The caller said he was hurt and unable to continue finding his way out.
Towle explained that when a 9-1-1 call emanates from a cell phone, the signal can provide GPS contours to the general location. Emergency equipment responded to Lavender Lane and the trail opening at the town line, past Parker Road.
Fire Chief David Grunes praised the coordinated rescue between the Police and Fire Departments, including accessing the trail network using the department’s UTV (utility terrain vehicle), designed to facilitate access to difficult areas.
The trails included some on Massachusetts Port Authority land and contiguous town conservation land. Rescuers had to walk around a pond to reach the victim, assisted by a jogger who had spotted the victim, Towle said. The exercise was labor-intensive, Grunes said, as the victim was carried to Lavender Lane in a Stokes Basket with eight firefighters and two police officers rotating on the two-person carry in the dark. The basket is a litter-type device designed to be used in spaces that are challenging to navigate.
Towle said the victim was transported to the emergency room at Lahey Clinic. Grunes said none of the first responders was injured.
Mike Rosenberg can be reached at [email protected], or 781-983-1763
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