At approximately 10:08am yesterday morning, Madison Hose was dispatched to assist Madison EMS with a downed hiker along Indigo Woods Trail near the Neck River. The fire department’s all-terrain vehicle (ATV) was used to access the patient, who had a knee injury and was not able to ambulate. Crews made contact with the patient by walking ahead on foot, which included members of Madison PD, Madison Hose, and Madison EMS. The patient was approximately 400 yards into the woods, off the trail in a wet area between two streams.

The patient was taken by ATV back to the Indigo Trail neighborhood and care was turned over to Madison EMS. This incident showcased the joint effort and coordination between Madison PD, Madison EMS, and Madison Hose as well as the off-road capabilities of town equipment which we are fortunate to have. We deal with a number of these style incidents each year, and it stresses the importance of always having a hiking buddy (which was the case today) or letting loved ones know your hiking plans and having a charged cell phone handy, in case an accident happens.