CAPE ANN — Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Chief Todd Fitzgerald and Essex Police Chief Paul Francis report that the two agencies collaborated today to rescue two individuals who became stranded while hiking.
At about 1:56 p.m., Manchester-by-the-Sea, Essex and Hamilton Police and Fire were dispatched to the area of Cathedral of the Pines for a report of two hikers who had become stuck in a swamp. Responding units determined that the hikers, a couple from Marblehead, had entered the walking trails behind Cathedral of the Pines off School Street and had become stuck in a swamp in woods in the Manchester, Essex and Hamilton area.
First responders from all three towns searched the trails for the hikers, assisted by the Manchester-by-the-Sea Drone Unit and an all-terrain vehicle and the Massachusetts State Police Air Wing.
Essex Police Sgt. Dan Bruce and Manchester Police Lt. Mark McCoy located the hikers, who were not injured, and guided them back to the main trail and out to their vehicles.
The Manchester-by-the-Sea Police and Fire Departments, the Essex Police and Fire Departments, the Hamilton Police and Fire Departments, Beauport Ambulance, Essex County Regional Dispatch, and the Massachusetts State Police Air Wing all provided support during the search and rescue.
“Thank you to all of the agencies who responded, and especially the Massachusetts State Police Air Wing for its assistance,” Chief Fitzgerald said. “This is a clear example of interagency cooperation bringing about a successful outcome.”
