A 16-year-old boy was critically injured Wednesday after falling from a rope swing at Hidden Lake in Manchester Township, prompting a massive emergency response complicated by rugged terrain and limited access.
At approximately 4:16 p.m., emergency services were dispatched to the Whiting section of the township following a report of an unconscious teen in the water. Responders from Manchester Township Police, Manchester EMS, Whiting Volunteer Fire Company, and Robert Wood Johnson EMS coordinated a challenging approach to the remote lake area.
Two police vehicles became disabled along an off-road trail leading to the scene, forcing officers to continue on foot. Bystanders at the lake helped locate the responders and transported them closer to the scene using private vehicles. There, two friends were found holding the unresponsive teen above the water’s surface.
Officers and EMS crews quickly placed the teen on a backboard and performed a rope-assisted extraction up a steep 30-foot embankment. The victim was then transported roughly three miles by UTV to the nearest accessible road, where a medevac helicopter awaited at Bowker Field.
The teen was transferred to a Manchester EMS ambulance and airlifted to Jersey Shore Medical Center’s Trauma Unit, where he was intubated and underwent further evaluation. He remained in critical condition as of the latest update.
Initial investigation suggests the victim sustained traumatic injuries after striking his head during a fall from a rope swing. The incident is under investigation by Patrolman Sean Rembach.
Key Points
- A 16-year-old boy suffered critical injuries after falling from a rope swing into Hidden Lake in Manchester Township
- First responders overcame rugged terrain and used a rope-assisted rescue to reach and extract the victim
- The teen was airlifted to a trauma center after being stabilized at the scene by police and EMS
