Crime & Safety
Man Rescued from Flat Rock Dam
The man was uninjured, but authorities took the opportunity to offer a stern reminder to would-be rafters: stay out of the water.
The Gladwyne Fire Company pulled a man out of the Schuylkill River on Sunday after authorities say he got stuck beneath a large tree while tubing in the river below the Flat Rock Dam. The man was uninjured in the incident.
“It’s very rough, the water’s very dangerous in that area,” Lower Merion fire chief Chas McGarvey told Main Line Media News after the rescue.
According to the Gladwyne Fire Company, Lower Merion Police were first to arrive on the scene, and when Gladwyne personell arrived they immediately began their rescue operation.
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Fire personell used Boat 24 to get to the man, who was approximately 15 feet from shore, and secured him to a personal floatation device before pulling him safely to land.
Gladwyne was assisted by the Belmont Hills Fire Company and the Narberth Ambulance Company, who checked the man's condition once he was out of the water.
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According to Gladwyne firefighter Brady McHale, the near tragedy is a teachable moment.
"Sunday’s incident serves as a bold reminder that swimming in the Schuylkill River is prohibited in Lower Merion," he wrote in a release.
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