Sunday evening, Apr. 12, around 7:35 p.m., park rangers at New River Gorge National River received a report of a falling incident on the Long Point Trail in the New River Gorge. Several local fire departments from Fayette County, Fayette County Rope and Rescue, EMS, and park rangers responded to the incident. The incident involved two brothers who hiked to the overlook at the end of the Long Point Trail.
The first call reported that a 13 year old had fallen off the cliff and received injuries. While rescue teams responded to the scene, his older brother, 19, attempted to locate a route he could use to climb down to help his brother when he sustained a fall himself. The Fayette County Rope and Rescue Team set up a technical litter raise to reach and extract the 13 year old. The team provided emergency care and lifted him to the cliff top. He was then carried out by litter to the trailhead where he was air lifted to a local hospital. His injuries are unknown at this time but he is in stable condition at Charleston Medical Center.
Meanwhile, rescuers searched for the 19 year old brother and found him several hundred yards away from the first incident site. The 19 year old was able to stand and walk and was walked out by rescue personnel down to the Kaymoor Trail and out to a waiting ambulance at Fayette Station Road. He was treated for injuries and is in stable condition at Charleston Medical Center.