On August 2, a 13-year-old girl was climbing with a camp group at Robinson Park in Sandstone, about an hour and a half north of Minneapolis–Saint Paul, when she got her knee stuck in a wide crack 40 feet above the ground. Climbers in her group were able to secure her from above, but were unable to free her knee. After several attempts, they called 911 at about 3:30 p.m. Authorities from Pine County Sheriff’s Office, St. Louis County Rescue, and Isanti Fire Department responded. The girl’s knee was quite swollen by the time the rescuers arrived. They used dish soap to lubricate the area as well as a hammer and chisel and Jaws of Life to break away the rock, and eventually freed her at around 8 p.m. She sustained minor soft-tissue injuries.

ANALYSIS

While not a common occurrence, it is quite possible to get digits or limbs stuck in cracks. Here, the climbers did the right thing by securing the stuck person to the wall in order to take weight off her knee while attempting to free her. Many first-aid kits contain packets of surgical lubricant or petroleum jelly that can make it easier to free stuck limbs. Using it quickly may make a difference—the longer the body part is stuck, the more it will swell. (Source: The Editors.)