2 Army Paratroopers Get Stuck in Trees, Fire Dept. Called in to Rescue Them
- Posted on April 27, 2012 at 8:00pm by
Becket Adams
- Print »
- Email »
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. (AP/The Blaze) – Who ya‘ gonna call when you’ve got two Army paratroopers stuck in trees?
Firefighters from nearby Lacey, responded Thursday with a tall ladder truck. They’re part of the Thurston County Special Operations Rescue Team, which trains for things like tree rescues.
Battalion Chief Steve Crimmins says the Joint Base Lewis-McChord Fire Department brought one paratrooper down before his crew got there. The other was stuck higher in a different tree and Lacey firefighters used their tall ladder for that rescue.
Watch the news update via Komo News:
Crimmins says Lewis-McChord fire personnel reported that the paratroopers were participating in a routine training jump when they encountered wind that blew them into the trees.
“When the wind picked up, it actually blew her into several limbs. So she kind of impacted it sideways,” said Lt. Patrick Harn.
Firefighter Adam Tumblin used a ladder truck to rescue one of the paratroopers, a woman who was stuck 75-feet above the ground.
“Basically, she was suspended from her chute,” Tumblin said. “We were able to shoot the ladder in underneath her and basically just pick her up.”
The paratrooper had been dangling for an hour and was numb, so fire crews played it extra cautious.
“You’re always nervous about getting up there and having them fall out, but she was pretty secured in the actual tree with her parachute tangled,” Harn said.
After safely bringing the woman down, Tumlin admitted it was one of the more unusual rescues he’s been a part of.
“I thought it was nothing but running into burning buildings, but it turns out there is way more to it than that,” he said.
Lewis-McChord spokesman Joe Piek confirms no one was hurt. He adds the base is “just very thankful” to the Thurston County fire crew.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Comments (39)
Sign In To Post Comments! Sign In
Popular Stories
MSNBC Host Snaps in Heated Segment: ‘What in the World Is Riskier Than Being a Poor Person in America?’ 677 Comments
Does Misstated Marathon Claim Prove Paul Ryan Is Dishonest? (POLL) 629 Comments
‘Jumah at the DNC’ Speaker: ‘Muslims Visited America Prior to Columbus’ & ‘It Was a Muslim’ Who Guided Him to the ‘New World’ 522 Comments
Obama: RNC Like Watching ‘Black-and-White TV’ Because Romney ‘Did Not Offer a Single New Idea’ 360 Comments
Have You Seen the Giant ‘Sand Obama’ Sculpture in Charlotte? 311 Comments
Faith
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 123 Comments- Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More
- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 175 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 146 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 300 Comments
Scathing New Ad Capitalizes on Rep. Ryan‘s ’Fading Obama Posters’ Remark 124 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 123 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
blair152
Posted on April 29, 2012 at 8:48pmParatroopers get stuck in trees all the time. During World War II, one even got hung up on the steeple of
Report Post »the church in St. Mere-Eglese. They have knives to cut themselves down with.
iac
Posted on April 29, 2012 at 8:40amI took a class at a civilian parachute school years ago and jumped solo static line.
Report Post »On of the wildest F*****g funnest things I’ve ever done! I recommend everyone give it a try.
Secret Squirrel
Posted on April 29, 2012 at 11:17am.
Report Post »“SHE was stuck in a tree.”
Next time hang up the cell phone before jumping.
Arc
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 11:50pm1964-1970 was kinda hard to steer an old T-10 but you could stand in one riser and get a good side slip. Never jumped a steerable……..are they worth their Name ( steerable) I believe it was the MC-1????
Report Post »dawghowse
Posted on April 29, 2012 at 12:16amWhen I was in we had T10s and MC1-1B steerable. La-de-da-de and everybody would steer to the assembly area. Hey but they were fun. When I was teaching at the AMTU we would jump with the Airborne Safety Board. Sometimes (most times) I really miss Ft. Bragg.
Report Post »dawghowse
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 9:31pmOK slick, when you are up a tree that far 1. you dump the reserve …2. you pop one of the capewells, (canopy release) and presto the reserve is now just about 48 feet long both risers and the canopy. It will hold all the wieght a young female parachutist you are then within PLF distance. (Combat Arms are Paratroopers.)
Report Post »Larry E
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 4:42pmAs my Battery Commander in Artillery School at Ft Sill told us, “anyone who jumps out of a perfectly good airplane is outta their ‘bleeped’ mind”. I have to say that I agreed with then and 47 years later still do.
I thought that paratroops were trained on how to get out of trees, etc if they got hung up. In a combat situation there’s not likely a “friendly fire department” to come bail you out.
Report Post »sixtysix
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 5:47pmPerhaps if they jumped and landed in enemy terrority up a tree, the good enemies would send out a fire truck to rescue them.
Report Post »Bob350
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 4:35pmMy worst landing, I hit heels and butt. I was stuffing my a** in my pants for 2 weeks. Man did that hurt for a while I’m telling you..
Report Post »Learned a valuable lesson that day. PLF every time!!!
walkandtalk
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 2:34pmGlad the paratrooper was not injured. For the males who made disparaging comments, your high school locker room immature mentality is showing. I would venture none of you have used a parachute nor encountered high winds that troopers from JBLM experience. Pity, the experience might grant you a new prospective on the strength, skill, and bravery of women in our military.
Report Post »John655
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 3:22pmYes, the women of our military are skilled and capable, but not skilled and capable for direct action combat. Sorry, that is a man’s domain. And I’m speaking as an airborne infantryman. 505th PIR to be exact. Leting women into ABN units which exist to jump behind eneny lines is just PC bull****.
Report Post »a_d_deuce
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 2:16pmGlad I wasn’t them. My worst landing to date was a feet, a$$, head landing on the FLS of a DZ we affectionately referred to as “SLAMMO” (Salerno) (least I think it was salerno, been a few). Rang my bell.
Report Post »G-WHIZ
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 11:45amOOOOOh! it’s a woman! If it was a man, he’d just climb his shute, get to the tree, and climb down.
Report Post »more dum-down the military so women can “serve”. In the fire-dept, they can’t even lift the same ladder that any man can lift…OOOh, they need help. That means during a raging fire someone has to stop and “Help”. Ever see a woman get lifted right off the ground by a full-force firehose? This is why there are minimum-weight limmits, and men-only(used-to-be) limmits. How many fighters not doing their job, needed to control all the things they can’t do?
Individualism
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 10:51ami doubt that will be much of a problem in future combat because the places the US sends troops is mostly deserts in middle east.
Report Post »80mesh
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 6:38amyou only need a parachute if you wanna skydive ….twice
Report Post »smitty938
Posted on April 27, 2012 at 11:45pmMan oh Man could the jump stories flow here. All I will say is at least they didn’t land on a Wal Mart completely off post and screw up a fun jump for a lot of people standing around all night waiting on a bird.
Report Post »82dAirborne
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 12:03amA walmart? No – but I did manage the parking lot of a class six store once. They were still open. ‘Nuff said.
Report Post »Fubared
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 10:39amWhy is a fem jumping in the first place? How many have done a plf in a hot zone? PC bs for promotion points and keeping that airborne status on her pay-that is all. She whistles on the way down for one, cannot jump a combat load for two, and now we get to gush over gee, women can do it all. BS all around. Glad all were “ok”, but the premise of the whole story is pc poop. Jumped once with a whole RGR Bat, few times that occured, change of command scenario. The light bird’s daugher had just completed airborne, and golly gee she got to jump with a RGR Bat, but for some reason opted out of the little 19 klick full gear hump afterwards. Why? PC bs, that is why.
Report Post »The Sergeant Major
Posted on April 27, 2012 at 10:49pmAt Fort Bragg we had a female captain dropped into the trees on Saint Mare DZ. For us it was great training, for her, she was skewered thru her cheek and knocked out a few teeth. Lesson learned, don’t jump with USACAPOC staff.
Lake Rim Fire Department was the first in Ladder into Radford DZ.
Feet and knees together!
Report Post »dawghowse
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 9:45pmHey SGM. In a tree landing it’s legs crossed at the ankles, arms crossed and hands in the armpits, head down as close to the chest as possible. Thanks for your service! Airborne!
2/502 1/325 and XVIII Abn Corps
Report Post »NEAF
Posted on April 27, 2012 at 9:27pmEmbarrassment. Take their wings away.
Report Post »NEAF
Posted on April 27, 2012 at 9:24pmWhat a dumb non-paratrooper. They jumped with phones? A real paratrooper get trained of how to claim down a tree.
Report Post »82dAirborne
Posted on April 27, 2012 at 9:52pmIn theroy yes we are trained to climb down using the reserve. The only full-time “paratroops” in the U.S. Army are at Ft. Bragg N.C. I think these troops are more like “Jump Qualified.”
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on April 27, 2012 at 10:10pmJump Pay… is not Pro Pay!
Report Post »82dAirborne
Posted on April 27, 2012 at 10:20pm@LUKERW – Exactly!
Report Post »G-train
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 2:41amTwo things:
A. if you listened closely to the report it said she was 75 feet up in the tree. That’s a wee bit more distance than a reserve chute can cover. Yes, we’re trained to pop the reserve and climb down it if you can reach the ground safely, if not just stay put and wait for someone to get you down. She did what she was trained to do, and so did the other guy who landed on post.
B. The 82nd is the only airborne *division* in the US Army. There are plenty of other ‘full time paratroops’ in the Army: 2 airborne BCTs in Alaska and Italy respectively; Forts Lewis, Benning, Carson, Campbell, Bragg, Eglin AFB, and Hunter AAF all have SF groups or ranger bats. Those are just the major units (and I‘d like to see you tell us we aren’t ‘full time paratroops’), there’s plenty of other detachments and such around the world. The 82nd is not and never has been the sole airborne unit in the Army.
Report Post »eddvoss
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 9:27amG-TRAIN thank you for pointing out that the 82nd is NOT the only full time Airborne unit. I spent time with 10th Group in the support section in Germany and we jumped at LEAST once a month. We almost had a few guys end up in the Voice of America antenna field on one jump as it was the first check point. One guy did land in the middle of a priority road that ran along side the DZ (Karen) in full combat equipment just at sundown. He scared the crap out of one German who thought we were Russian Troops invading.
Report Post »82dAirborne
Posted on April 28, 2012 at 12:22pmI should have said Full Division. My apologies.
Report Post »ITSJESTTIM
Posted on April 27, 2012 at 8:28pmParatroopers rescued by paramedics, Huh? Should have sent paranormal ghosts to rescue their souls.
Report Post »Therightsofbilly
Posted on April 27, 2012 at 8:38pmAnd someone that you and I are both acquainted with, should grow “a para…….”
Report Post »ITSJESTTIM
Posted on April 27, 2012 at 8:46pmBalls? I heard that from the gay skeleton on the Craig Ferguson Show. I am having more fun that Geoff Peterson. Balls….. LOL
Report Post »ITSJESTTIM
Posted on April 27, 2012 at 8:49pm@Therightsofbilly
Report Post »Three consonants can be a Mother and is…. also.
ITSJESTTIM
Posted on April 27, 2012 at 8:58pm@Therightsofbilly
“And someone that you and I are both acquainted with, should grow “a para…….”
Me?
Report Post »ITSJESTTIM
Posted on April 27, 2012 at 9:01pm@Therightsofbilly
The image I reflect in the mirror has not seen himself yet. Should I stop you think?
Report Post »Therightsofbilly
Posted on April 27, 2012 at 11:09pmThat’s a GOOD one. I like that.
“The image I reflect in the mirror, has not seen himself yet”.
Yes, I like that
Report Post »ReallyAUnionGuy
Posted on April 27, 2012 at 8:15pmOn the front lines everyday…… nice job……
http://www.firefightersforfreedom.blogspot.com
Report Post »82dAirborne
Posted on April 27, 2012 at 8:11pmActually it can be one of the most dangerous landings there is. If you are coming in fast you get skewered. It can be (and has been) deadly. On the other hand it can be funny as hell!!
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on April 27, 2012 at 9:28pm@82nd – at least in this case they can laugh about it as they are alive and relatively whole.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on April 27, 2012 at 8:09pmI am glad they are alright, it could have ended a lot worse for the both of them.
Report Post »