Jan. 29--A COMBINATION OF LUCK -- good and bad -- led to the quick rescue of a bicyclist who nearly fell about 30 feet from a walking bridge into the Kiski River on Saturday.
The man, believed to be in his 20s, was riding a bicycle across the walking bridge between Hyde Park and Leechburg about 5 p.m. when he wrecked his bike and was flipped over the railing.
Leechburg Police Officer Ron Baustert said the man, whose name was not immediately available, was able to grab onto the understructure of the metal suspension bridge.
Hanging on with one arm, the man was able to retrieve his cell phone from his pocket and call 911 for help.
Baustert said he and other emergency responders arrived within minutes and pulled the victim up through the railing. Less than 10 minutes passed from the time Armstrong County 911 dispatched the call to the time the man was reported to be back on the bridge.
River rescue crews initially were asked to respond but were not needed.
The man suffered minor injuries and was taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment, Baustert said.
A man who fell from the Hyde Park side of the bridge in 2006 suffered serious injuries to his legs and hip. In that instance, the victim was found on a stone support pier under the bridge after apparently falling into the river, then climbing onto the pier.
Rescuers had to rappel down a steep embankment to reach the victim, then lower him to a boat that took him to the Leechburg side of the river.
Copyright 2012 - The Valley News-Dispatch, Tarentum, Pa.
