Community
Worcester County District Attorney awards group who worked together to rescue injured hiker
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PAXTON – Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. Monday recognized a group of Paxton first responders, including firefighters, police and dispatchers, and state Department of Conservation and Recreation park rangers, who worked together to rescue an injured hiker in Moore State Park last summer.
On Monday, District Attorney Early presented the Team Excellence and Merit – TEAM Award to the group of 12 for their teamwork and coordination to perform this difficult rescue on July 27, 2024.
“This group embodies what the TEAM Award is all about. When our first responders join together and work in coordination like this, we see the amazing results,” Mr. Early said. “This rescue required every single pair of hands pitching in due to the remote location, difficult terrain and high temperature.”
At 10:14 a.m. that day, the Wachusett Regional Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call reporting an injured hiker approximately a half mile into the woods on a rear trail in Moore State Park.
Dispatchers from the communications center immediately began working on pinpointing the location of the injured hiker and her husband via their cellphone.
By 10:40 a.m., Paxton Firefighters had reached the victim. After an assessment of her injuries, they began the process of extricating her from the woods.
The back trail where the woman had been located was steep and tough, and the process of moving her out of the woods required loading her onto a stretcher and carrying her across this terrain.
The Paxton firefighters, Paxton police officer, and Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation rangers on scene all took turns assisting with the carry. This was necessary to avoid exhaustion due to the high temperatures, which were in the mid-80s that day, and the intensity of hiking over the terrain.
It took until approximately 11:30 a.m. to successfully carry the woman out of the woods. She was loaded into a waiting ambulance and taken to the hospital. She has since made a full recovery.
“The teamwork was really the key to it all,” said the hiker’s husband, Richard Trumbull, who was there when the incident unfolded. “One person took control and then they kept swapping out positions on the stretcher to make sure nobody got too fatigued. The others would work on keeping her calm. It was extremely impressive to see.”
The TEAM Award was presented to the following first responders on Monday:
Paxton Fire Department:
- Chief Michael Pingitore
- Deputy Chief Michael Benoit
- Firefighter/Paramedic Richard McGinn
- Firefighter/EMT Meghan Stevens
- Firefighter/EMT Emily Goodsell
Paxton Police Department:
- Sgt. Forrest Thorpe
Wachusett Regional Emergency Communication Center:
- Dispatcher Alice Ordung
- Dispatcher Emily Lebeau
- Dispatcher Jordan Smith
- Dispatcher Supervisor Abby Parkinson
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation:
- Ranger Lt. Rebecca Baronoski
- Forest and Park Supervisor Shane McCaffrey
Civilian:
- Richard Trumbull
The TEAM Award was created by Mr. Early in 2019 to recognize public safety employees who go above and beyond the call of duty. Contact the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office at (508) 755-8601 to nominate someone for this award.