An 11-year-old boy was saved by firefighters after he was trapped between boulders for nine hours.
The terrifying incident occurred at Camp Wediko in Windsor, New Hampshire around 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15, according to The Wediko School. Responding Firefighters used rope, dish soap, and friction-reducing sheets to rescue the 11-year-old.
The boy was rescued by firefighters at around 3:15 a.m. on Monday, approximately nine hours after he was trapped between the boulders. He sustained minor injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital for examination. He was released the same day.
Wediko School, a residential treatment center the boy attends, released a statement about the incident. “On Sunday evening, while under supervision, a student exploring a rocky area on campus slipped between two boulders when sticks and debris gave way beneath them.”
The school further revealed, “Despite multiple staff members’ efforts to free the student, they were unsuccessful and promptly called local emergency rescue services. Emergency responders worked tirelessly through the night, successfully rescuing the student in the early morning.”
Responding teams from multiple communities also came out to support the rescue efforts. Among the responding teams were the state police and Fish and Game Department.
Wediko School Shares Appreciation for Firefighters Who Saved Boy From Boulders
The Wediko School also shared appreciation for the first responders. “We are deeply grateful to our staff for their swift, professional response, and to the local emergency teams for bringing the student to safety. Ensuring the physical safety and emotional well-being of our students remains our highest priority at the Wediko School.”
Manchester Fire Battalion Chief Jon Fosher stated the department was called in. The rescuers specifically needed heavy rescue trucks and crew. However, even with the heavy machinery, the first responders struggled for hours to rescue the child.
“We basically had to tunnel underneath the boulder to get access to the child’s feet,” Fosher shared. “Which allowed us something to push on from the bottom.”
Capt. Adam Iverson with the Manchester Fire Department, also provided more details about the items used for the rescue. “We needed to essentially tunnel from the side using jackhammers, using sauzhauls, shovels, create some space to get a member underneath him, in order to free up his legs,” Iverson said. “One that was done then the guys on top and from below where able to lift him up and out.”
The Wediko School offers a therapeutic and academic program for boys and girls ages 8-18 struggling with ADHD, anxiety, Asperger’s, and mood disorders.
Among the activities that the program provides are archery, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and mountain biking. It also has in-house social workers, psychologists and special education teachers.