A hiker's afternoon stroll through the trails of River Place Blvd turned into an emergency when they required medical assistance. Austin-Travis County EMS, along with Austin Fire Department and STAR Flight, responded to the scene at approximately 6:08 PM on January 6. The incident unfolded on the Greenbelt trail near the 4600 block of River Place Blvd, as first reported by the ATCEMS.
Wilderness Rescue ~4600blk River Place Blvd (18:08) Reported patient with a medical complaint on a greenbelt trail. #ATCEMSMedics, @AustinFireInfo, & @STAR_Flight_TC responding. More information to follow. pic.twitter.com/gDbjfrbu8T
— ATCEMS (@ATCEMS) January 7, 2024
Rescuers formed a hasty search team and flagged their way down the trail, soon making contact with the patient. According to ATCEMS updates, medics evaluated the individual in the wilderness and determined a stokes basket and big wheel extrication device would be necessary for safe extraction. Despite the initial response from STAR Flight, their services for rescue and transport were ultimately canceled.
The extraction process required a significant presence of public safety vehicles in the area, which is expected to have caused a temporary inconvenience to residents and visitors along River Place. The operation was a coordination of efforts between multiple agencies to ensure the patient's well-being in a challenging environment.
Following a successful extrication, the patient decided to refuse transport for further medical care, as noted in the final update from ATCEMS. The patient was located, evaluated, and treated on the scene but chose to forego additional services after being safely removed from the difficult terrain. As such, the emergency teams wrapped up their rescue operation and public safety vehicles departed the area, signaling an end to the incident with no further information disclosed at this time.
