A 30-year-old woman was hiking with her family at the backside of the summit of Moose Mountain in Lutsen on October 15 when she tripped and fell, injuring her knee. She was unable to walk so her family made a 911 call at 12:55 p.m., setting in motion a complicated rescue by Lutsen First Responders and firefighters.
The Lutsen responders were paged and were instructed to stage at the Lutsen Mountains gondola. Members of the Lutsen Fire Department and First Responders were on scene by 1:11 p.m. and were taken to the summit by gondola car. However, the location of the patient made extrication difficult.
Lutsen EMS Chief Fred Schmidt said the woman had fallen on a rocky area known by skiers as “The Plunge.” Emergency responders made their way down the steep slope and splinted the injured leg. They then put the woman in a Stokes basket and using ropes, belayed her up the mountainside.
The Cook County Ambulance arrived and waited at Papa Charlie’s at 1:23 p.m. until responders were able to get the patient up the slope and then down the hill. Responders were able to get her safely to the ambulance and on the way to the hospital at 3 p.m.
No further information is available on the injured party.
EMS Chief Schmidt said he was very impressed with the Lutsen responders. “Everything went like clockwork,” he said. “I’m really proud of everyone.”
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