The Ithaca Fire Department rescued a woman from Six Mile Creek Gorge near First Dam at around 3 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon.
The older woman had fallen down a 40-foot embankment, Ithaca Police Department Assistant Chief Thomas Basher said in a press release. She was stuck near Treva Avenue and Giles Street — in an area inaccessible to trails.
The woman had been stranded for some time before a passerby heard her calls, who then called 911, the release stated. By that time, she was “cold and exhausted.” Ithaca temperatures reached around 27 degrees Fahrenheit on Wednesday.
The Ithaca Fire Department rappelled down using a rope system to pull her from the embankment, treating some of her injuries on the ground before hauling her up with assistance from the Ithaca Police Department and Bangs Ambulance.
She was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
This was at least the fourth rescue from Six Mile Creek in the past three years. In August 2018, officials rescued a woman who fell near First Dam and a college-age man who became exhausted while swimming. In April 2019, a man fell into the creek and had to be pulled out by firefighters in rescue suits.