Tuolumne Fire Department Detail Recent Cleo’s Bath Rescues
Pinecrest, CA– The Tuolumne County Fire Department has detailed two rescues in the Pinecrest area at Cleo’s Bath.
On July 15, at 12:47 pm, multiple agencies, including Tuolumne County Fire Department Pinecrest Engine 554, Mi Wuk Sugar Pine Fire Protection District E776, Strawberry Fire Protection District E711, and CAL FIRE Columbia Helitack on Copter 205, responded to assist a hiker in distress at the Cleo’s Bath trailhead, located on the far side of Pinecrest Lake.
The victim, suffering from a possible broken ankle, found herself unable to hike out, prompting a response from the emergency teams. TCFD Fire Boat 554, carrying personnel from E554, was deployed to navigate the waters of Pinecrest Lake, while other teams started their three-mile hike towards the patient’s location. The teams finally located the injured hiker in the swim area. The crew from B554 prepared the patient for transport, and with the arrival of the E776 team, they safely move the injured individual to a designated pickup spot. Firefighters performed a 125’ hoist to move the patient to an ambulance at Bald Mountain.
The following day, on July 16, at 9:54 am, E554, E776, and E711 responded to another call for a possible broken ankle incident at Cleo’s Bath Waterfall. Upon arrival, the crews efficiently stabilized the patient’s injuries and carefully assisted her onto B554. The boat transported the injured hiker across Pinecrest Lake to a waiting ambulance.
