Emergency crews spent Saturday afternoon navigating difficult terrain to reach a skydiver who crashed in a rural area near Knoxville.
The incident was reported around 11:22 a.m. Saturday in a field between Highway 14 and 130th Street. The Knoxville Fire Department responded with an EMS crew, command officer and utility terrain vehicle. Knoxville Police and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office also assisted.
Because of the remote location, crews initially had difficulty reaching the injured skydiver. Responders searched through heavy timber and standing corn and attempted to approach the scene from 130th Street near Oregon Drive, but access was limited.
Crews then moved to the 1600 block of Highway 14. Knoxville firefighters were eventually able to reach the skydiver on foot and began advanced medical treatment while other responders worked to clear a path for the UTV.
Once access was established, the skydiver was placed in a Stokes basket and transported out of the field to an ambulance waiting along Highway 14.
Mercy AirMed had been placed on standby at the Knoxville Airport, which provided the closest and safest landing location for the medical helicopter. The patient was taken to the airport, transferred to the helicopter and flown to a Des Moines-area trauma center in critical condition.
The incident remains under investigation.
Source: Knoxville Fire Department Facebook page.
