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Teen Rescued After Fall At Rocks State Park

HARFORD COUNTY, Md. (WJZ) -- Dramatic rescue. A 16-year-old boy took a frightening fall at Rocks State Park in Harford County. Emergency crews spent more than an hour trying to rescue him.

Rick Ritter has the latest on the victim's condition.

We're told the 16-year-old boy was in and out of consciousness when he was airlifted to Shock Trauma. At last check, he remains in critical condition after a fall first responders say could've easily been deadly.

Sky Eye Chopper 13 captured intense moments as crews frantically tried to rescue a teen in the middle of Rocks State Park. The call came in just after 3:30 p.m. Monday when vacation for a 16-year-old boy from the Eastern Shore took a heart-pounding turn.

First responders say the 16-year-old boy was hiking with his father when he slipped and fell 20 feet into a crevasse without wearing any safety equipment---just inches away from the edge and falling at least another 20 feet.

"He was very, very lucky," said Brandon Watkins, Harford County Technical Rescue Team Crew Chief. "Lucky to not slide off the next edge and fall even more."

Watkins and Daniel Lemon are two of Harford County's first responders on the scene.

"It's a three-tier operation. You have to go to one level, then to another level and then to the third level, where he is," Lemon said.

A grueling rescue attempt because of where the boy landed.

"He was up about 40 feet down from the very top but about 60 feet from the bottom," Watkins said.

After more than an hour, the victim was airlifted to Shock Trauma in critical condition.

The popular park has seen plenty of accidents over the years. Climbers know one wrong step could turn devastating.

"Plenty of areas that, if you're not safe, you could easily slip," said Connor Porter.

"It's incredible, incredible, even with no safety equipment on and just street clothes," Lemon and Watkins said.

Harford County Fire Department officials say a lot of the trails at Rocks State Park are washed out because of the rain we've been having, making them very slick.

The injuries the teen suffered are non-life threatening.

Emergency crews say they responded to another call on the other side of the park Monday, where another climber also suffered non-life threatening injuries.

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