ARCHBALD, PA — Emergency crews executed a high-angle rope rescue Tuesday afternoon after a 64-year-old man fell into the geologic formation at Archbald Pothole State Park.
First responders were dispatched to the Lackawanna County park shortly after 12:00 p.m.. According to park officials and state police, the man bypassed protective fencing to retrieve a dropped item when he lost his footing and plunged approximately 35 feet onto a stone ledge inside the 38-foot-deep glacial pothole. The landmark, carved by glacial meltwater roughly 15,000 years ago, measures 42 feet in diameter at its widest point.
Search and rescue personnel deployed specialized rigging systems to hoist the victim out of the pit. Authorities confirmed the man remained conscious and alert throughout the extraction process.
Emergency medical technicians evaluated the man on scene before transporting him to a regional hospital for further medical evaluation and treatment of injuries sustained in the fall.
