A Hoopa forestry worker slipped down into a ravine off Big Hill Road and received serious injuries about 9:30 this morning, according to Rod Mendes, chief of Hoopa Fire and Office of Emergency Services. He said the man rolled about 300 feet from where he slipped.
“He is about 2,000 feet down from Big Hill Road,” Mendes said. “He has a serious back injury and is unable to walk.”
The injured man was with another forestry worker and Mendes said, “They were able to call out on radio.”
Because of the remote and rugged area the accident occurred, it took a long time to reach the victim. “It was 45 minutes to hike into him,” Mendes said.
In addition, the terrain means that the helicopter can’t land and the weather is adding to the issues. “Flying into that drainage is really dangerous,” Mendes said. “Getting a helicopter in because of the clouds and the fog is hard.”
The pilot is expected to reach the site soon. The injured man is already in a Stokes basket and will be hoisted to the helicopter as soon as possible, Mendes said just afternoon.
“We figure between 12:15 p.m. to 12:30 p.m., they will start the process of hoisting him.”
After the man is hoisted into the helicopter, they will fly him to the airport for transport by ambulance, Mendes said.
Mendes said that Hoopa Fire, Hoopa Volunteer Fire, K’ima:w Medical Center ambulance, Tribal Police and Hoopa Tribe Forestry are at the scene. He said they are also getting assistance from CalFire.
This article appears in Flash Fiction 2019.
