Firefighters save 4-year-old girl clinging to top of 30-foot tree in Adams County

Harrison Jones, Hanover Evening Sun
·2 min read
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A 4-year-old girl was rescued by firefighters from the top of a 30-foot pine tree Tuesday morning in Adams County.

Firefighters from Northeast Adams Fire & EMS were called to the scene on McClellan Drive within the gated Lake Meade community in Reading Township at 10:48 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27, arriving to find a 4-year-old girl clinging to the top of a large pine tree in her family's backyard.

A firefighter carries a 4-year-old girl down the ladder of Truck 33 after rescuing her from 30 feet up a tree, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Reading Township.
A firefighter carries a 4-year-old girl down the ladder of Truck 33 after rescuing her from 30 feet up a tree, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Reading Township.

Initially, firefighters explored attempting to climb the tree with ground ladders but were concerned about breaking limbs off the tree or shaking the top of the tree where the child was clinging, Northeast Adams Fire & EMS Chief Cory Lease said.

Due to the size and height of the tree, firefighters requested a ladder truck to the scene, Lease said, providing a ladder that could reach the top of the tree without resting against the tree.

Upon the arrival of the ladder truck, firefighters climbed the truck's ladder and safely removed the girl from the tree.

Firefighters work to rescue a 4-year-old girl that was stuck 30 feet up a tree, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Reading Township.
Firefighters work to rescue a 4-year-old girl that was stuck 30 feet up a tree, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Reading Township.

No injuries were reported to the girl, who was just frightened, Lease confirmed.

While family reported the girl had a history of attempting to climb smaller trees in the yard, Lease said, she never previously went very high.

When she got up the tree, she appeared to have been frightened when she realized how high up she was, Lease said.

"Just a little scared, she's probably not climbing a tree anymore," said Lease.

Northeast Adams Fire & EMS was assisted by United Hook & Ladder and Community Life Team EMS on the call.

Firefighters work to rescue a 4-year-old girl that was stuck 30 feet up a tree, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Reading Township.
Firefighters work to rescue a 4-year-old girl that was stuck 30 feet up a tree, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Reading Township.

It wasn't the first time that East Berlin firefighters had to perform such a rescue, Lease notes, as several years ago firefighters safely rescued a 14-year-old from a larger tree in Reading Township.

Lake Meade is a private, gated community in northeastern Adams county, constructed around a 300-acre man-made lake. The community, which was created in 1968, consists of 1,089 single-family dwellings, according to the community's HOA website.

The Lake Meade community is protected by Northeast Adams Fire & EMS' Lake Meade station, 32-2, which was formerly Lake Meade Fire & Rescue, before its merger with Liberty Fire Department of East Berlin in 2019.

This article originally appeared on Hanover Evening Sun: Firefighters save 4-year-old from top of tree in Adams County PA