On Sunday, August 12th, the United States Park Police “Eagle” helicopter responded to Great Falls Park to assist in the rescue of an injured person. Officer Chad Gordon, NPS rangers Sheryl Bresee and Robert Mocko, and local fire/rescue personnel evacuated a teenage boy who had suffered injuries to his pelvis, back, abdomen, and head from a significant fall from a rock ledge of about 25 to 30 feet. Rescuers carried the injured teen over difficult terrain to a rescue boat that transported him to the helicopter. “Eagle,” flown by sergeant Ken Burchell and rescue technician sergeant Mark Varanelli, made a landing in a confined space within a quarry to medevac the patient to a local hospital. This coordinated effort was made possible by the extensive interagency training conducted by the United States Park Police, National Park Service, and Fairfax County Department of Fire and Rescue Services.
