Keith Elder, a resident of Windham, is recuperating after a 60-foot fall into a gorge in Franklin County.

Two Gray residents, friends of the 36-year-old Elder, also fell at the same time.

Elder, who opted to take a car to the hospital rather than an ambulance, suffered a bruised ankle. He was treated and released.

The Gray residents, William Irving, 39, and Lewis Bruns, in his 30s, were airlifted by LifeFlight of Maine to Lewiston’s Central Maine Medical Center after suffering back injuries. Bruns and Williams have already been discharged.

The rescue attempt involved more than 50 people including firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and wilderness rescue teams.

The men were part of a party of five on a midnight ATV ride through northern Franklin County when the incident occurred. They stopped to turn off the trail and with only one flashlight between them, walked about 45 feet in an attempt to view a gorge and waterfalls area along Alder Stream. Three of the five men accidentally slipped over the edge.

Mark Latti, a spokesman for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, described the brush along the cliff, and said he believes the three men accidentally walked right over.

Warden Blaine Holding investigated the accident.

Apparently, the two men from Gray fell and landed in the shallow water below. The Windham resident slid uncontrollably halfway down before falling. One of the men atop the cliff ran for help while the other made his way to the stream and pulled the unconscious Irving out of the chilled water.

Sidney Shane, assistant eustis fire chief described the area as a dangerous spot, even in daylight, due to its thick brush and exposed tree roots. He believes the water broke their fall, possibly saving their lives.

“The town really pulled together. They did a really good job,” Elder said.

According to Shane, the first firefighter arrived to the remote location approximately 45 minutes after the accident. The three men lied almost seven miles from the highway, down a camp road. Close behind, three NorthStar EMS personnel arrived. The team quickly moved down the slope, their backs strapped with packs carrying emergency supplies.

NorthStar supervisor Mike Senecal made sure to pull them from the water as soon as possible. He was concerned about hypothermia, he said.

The three men’s bodies were out of the stream, but their feet were still submerged.

A team atop the cliff lowered emergency medical equipment by rope. The three men were strapped to backboards, wrapped in heat-retaining sheets and wool blankets. They received heated, saturated oxygen. Finally, they were secured into litters designed for rope-rescues. They were then carried approximately 30 feet downstream, away from the trees overhanging the gorge.

A system of ropes and pulleys was constructed, taking almost four hours for completion. This construction was used to lift the litters holding the patients. They were then carried to an ambulance that took them to a landing strip in Eustis, where two medical helicopters took the two men from Gray.

“I’m very happy everyone is okay,” Elder said. “And I’m thankful for the efforts of all the people involved.”

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