07/26/2026
At 1 pm on Saturday July 25, 2026, Campton-Thornton Fire Rescue, Thornton New Hampshire Police Department and Waterville Valley Department of Public Safety were called to the Pemigewassett River in the area of the Sugar Shack Campground in Thornton for a reported water rescue.
Ambulance 2, Rescue 1, Car 1 with Boat 1, and Waterville Valley Ambulance 1 responded.
While en route Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid dispatchers advised that a caller to New Hampshire 911 reported that a tuber had slipped on a rock and fallen, suffering a hip injury and they were in the water, unable to move.
Additional personnel from Woodstock Fire Department, NH were requested and responded.
On scene, crews gained access to the patient and began treatment and prepared the patient for movement to the ambulance. The "banana boat" was deployed and the patient was moved to shore, before being loaded into the ambulance for transport to Speare Memorial Hospital in Plymouth for treatment of non life threatening injuries.
During this incident, an additional call came in for a cardiac arrest on the Welch-Dickey Loop Trail in Waterville Valley. The WVDPS ambulance cleared our scene and responded and were assisted by Pemigewassett Search and Rescue, as well as NH Fish and Game. Unfortunately, that patient did not survive. Our thoughts are with their friends and family.
A cover ambulance was requested from the Ashland Fire Department to cover CTFD Station #1 and was released once crews returned to service. At one point nearly every ambulance between Littleton and Ashland were committed to calls.
Later in the day, around 3 pm, CTFD crews responded to the Mill Brook Cascade off of Mill Brook Road in Thornton for a separate medical emergency. The patient from that incident declined ambulance transport and was released at the scene.
We would like to thank our mutual aid partners for their assistance during this incident.
Campton Thornton Professional Firefighters Local 5445
