Hiker rescued after fall into park creek

BUSHKILL - On Saturday afternoon, January 7, park rangers and local firefighters and emergency medical volunteers rescued a New Jersey man who fell about 30 feet from an icy park trail, landing in a stream below. According to the National Park Service, David Miller, 57, and his wife, Nancy Wilson, both of Lawrenceville, NJ, were hiking on the Indian Ladder trail in the park’s Pennsylvania District when Miller lost his footing and tumbled into Hornbeck Creek. Shortly thereafter, two other hikers, Matthew Siptroth and Heather MacIntire of Shawnee Village, came upon the scene. While Wilson headed back down the trail to a point where she could get cell phone reception and dial 911, Siptroth made his way down to Miller, who was suffering from a head injury and from hypothermia due to his immersion in the stream. Siptroth had additional clothes with him and was able to help Miller change into them, thereby minimizing the impacts of hypothermia. Responding along with the park’s high-angle rescue and evacuation teams were firefighters and emergency medical personnel from Delaware Township, Dingman Township, Bushkill, Milford and Hemlock Farms. Together, they were able to safely extricate Miller from the creek and bring him to a medevac helicopter which flew him to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown. Doctors treated Miller for his head injury, which proved minor, and for hypothermia and kept him overnight at the hospital. He was to be released on Sunday. Rangers said that Siptroth’s quick thinking and prompt action in getting Miller out of his wet clothes greatly reduced the impact Miller’s hypothermia.