Connecticut Man Rescued After Fall On Precipice Trail

A Connecticut man was airlifted to a Bangor hospital after falling 15 feet down a cliff on the Precipice Trail in Acadia National Park.

Richard Cavalieri, 67, of Niantic, Conn., suffered head injuries and broken ribs when he slipped on loose gravel and fell on Saturday morning, according to a news release from Acadia National Park. Due to the severity of his injuries, park rangers requested the assistance of paramedics from the Bar Harbor Fire Department and transport by LifeFlight of Maine.

With the combined help of 30 emergency responders, a technical rope rescue was used to lift Cavalieri to the summit of Champlain Mountain to meet the helicopter. The operation required two separate technical raises and a short carryout to reach the helicopter that landed just below the summit, according to the news release.

The helicopter departed Champlain Mountain for Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine, at approximately 4 p.m.

Cavalieri was hiking solo. A passerby hiking on the trail notified the park’s dispatch office of the fall by cell phone.