WARWICK TWP. – Firefighters conducted a ‘high angle rescue’ June 17 after a man was injured jumping into the quarry at St. Peters village.
A 39-year-old man was swimming in the flooded quarry with his girlfriend when he jumped off a cliff overlooking the water, according to state police.
The cliff where the man reportedly jumped from is at least 40 feet up from the water, officials said.
The man, who was not named, initially felt ‘pins and needles’ in his legs before he slowly lost feeling in them, said State Trooper James Hogan.
Despite his injury, the man was able to swim using just his arms to the edge of the water near an incline leading from the parking lot at the quarry.
‘I just happened upon him,’ said Hogan. ‘Unfortunately, I was out here to discourage people from doing this kind of stuff. When it gets hot, this begins to happen.’
June 17 was the first day of the year to approach 90 degrees and multiple people in bathing suits could be seen in the area during and after the rescue.
It’s unclear if this was the man’s first jump or if anyone else had also jumped.
Fire crews from the Twin Valley Fire Department were followed by those from the Valley Forge, Lionville and Fame (West Chester) fire companies at the scene to aid in safely pulling the victim up the steep slope.
The man’s medical condition was not reported, but he was observed to be awake and alert when he was brought up to an Elverson Emergency Medical Services ambulance.
The ambulance drove the victim to a nearby, waiting medical helicopter which flew him to a regional hospital.
