WESTBORO, MASS. (WHDH) - An elderly man was pulled to safety Thursday afternoon after falling through the icy covering of a frozen swamp in Westborough.
Emergency crews responding to an emergency at Cedar Swamp on Brigham Street found the man submerged in the muck and began the painstaking process of extricating him.
Fire officials said dense brush and slippery conditions made the initial search for the man difficult.
“The brush was extremely thick — it’s a swamp,” Fire Chief Jason Ferschke said. “The water varied in depths from knee-high on the rescuers up to about chest high.”
Once rescuers located the man, more crews were called in for back up and came through the swamp using chainsaws and other tools.
The man was secured to an ATV and driven to an ambulance where he was transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries related to exposure.
In a post on their Twitter page, Westborough firefighters said the man is “doing well.”
Westborough & District 14 Firefighters worked in Cedar Swamp, 57 Brigham St, to rescue a male that fell through the ice today. TR equipment & saws were required to access the male during this 2 hour operation. Male was transported by WFD & is doing well. Thanks to M/A for asst! pic.twitter.com/iGviNlO5go
— Westborough Fire Dept (@WestboroughFire) January 9, 2020
Just spoke w/Deputy Fire Chief. Elderly man called for help after falling through ice while walking through woods/marshy area. Tough conditions (lots of brush, hard to see/find him, water knee to chest deep) for rescuers to get to him. Was alert when taken to ambulance. #7News https://t.co/0AtFs7yC5S
— Michael Yoshida (@YoshidaCNN) January 9, 2020
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