At 11:05am on Thursday, June 13th, a call came in that a man suffered injuries after having flipped his kayak during a trip down the Kennebago River.
Emergency responders from Rangeley Fire and Rescue, Maine Warden Service and Northstar Ambulance were able to find a trail from a campsite that led them to the scene. Crew members rushed in but to get to the area still took about 15 minutes. Trees and blow downs had to be cut along the way in order to properly clear a path to extricate the man in a stokes basket. Hauling the patient out took about 45 minutes.
The patient was hypothermic, and due to underlying health conditions, and in addition to compound fractures and a broken leg, it was decided it would be best to transport the patient via helicopter.
After having already endured a long, bumpy, and painful ride down Boy Scout Road, the trip in an ambulance to the nearest hospital, or even up the road to the airport, was deemed precarious.
Rangeley Fire & Rescue Chief Michael Bacon had the idea of having the helicopter land on the pavement in the parking lot of Portage Tap House in Oquossoc, as it would be a significantly shorter ride.
Rangeley Interim Police Chief Richard Caton IV , along with Rangeley Fire & Rescue, U.S. Border Patrol and Central Maine Power vehicles helped block off the area from two-way traffic in order for LifeFlight out of Bangor to land safely.
Across the street from Oquossoc Grocery, those that were eating their lunch were witness to the helicopter’s landing that caused quite a kick up of dust and gravel, but the situation was properly contained.
The following Monday, the kayaker, Derek Berlew, gave thanks on the Rangeley Fire Rescue Facebook page. “I can not thank all of those involved enough!” “I was the kayaker involved in the accident. I (am) not sure I would even be alive were it not for the selfless dedication of everyone involved in this operation. It was a very difficult extraction in every way and everyone was so kind, professional and supportive. There really are no words to express my gratitude!”
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