BIG SKY — A child who fell off a rock at Lava Lake and sustained a head injury was helped to safety by Gallatin County Search and Rescue on Monday.
On June 14, 2021, Gallatin County dispatched received a call for a child who fell off a rock at Lava Lake. The patient was bleeding from the head and complaining of leg pain.
Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue volunteers from Big Sky responded to the Lava Lake Trailhead and deployed a hasty team immediately up the trail. Another bystander took a first aid kit to the injured child. They were able to treat the injuries to the point the patient was able to start walking out on their own.
Search and Rescue teams met the patient, and accompanying group, about halfway up the trail to the lake. They walked out with them and made sure they did not need further medical assistance.
Sheriff Dan Springer would like to remind recreationists that even a nice afternoon hike may not go as planned; so take plenty of water, sunscreen, a first aid kit, and be prepared for any weather for the “unexpected adventure.”
"If you find you might need help in the backcountry, request it, as we would rather find you hiking out rather than wait and possibly complicate the rescue," he said in a release.
Photo courtesy of Gallatin County Search and Rescue.