LINCOLN — A Lincoln man is being treated at the University of Vermont Medical Center with what Vermont State Police called “serious injuries” after falling from a cliff near the West Vista Trail in Lincoln during the evening of Thursday, July 7.
Police were called to the scene at around 11 p.m. on word that a hiker, identified as 30-year-old Matthew Dibley, had fallen around 30 feet from a cliff — an incident that had rendered him unconscious.
Dibley and Rachel Pentecost, 28, of Middlebury, had gone for a short hike to an overlook that they had accessed using the West Vista Trail at around 7 p.m., according to police. Dibley and Pentecost stayed at the top for around an hour, then accidently veered off the trail as they made their descent, police said.
The couple decided to make their way toward an area where they knew a road was located, according to authorities. It was during this time that Dibley lost his footing and fell approximately 30 feet off a cliff, police said.
With no cell phone or light, Pentecost was able to find her way out of the woods and call 911 from a residence down the road, police said.
Many local fire departments and rescue crews responded to help, including the Lincoln and Ripton Fire Departments and Bristol and Middlebury Rescue. A small group from the Lincoln Fire Department formed a search party and went into the woods to search for Dibley, whom they located at the bottom of the cliff, police said. Rescue personal on scene secured Dibley on a back board and carried him out of the woods, according to authorities.
Both Dibley and Pentecost were taken to UVM Medical Center. Pentecost was evaluated and released, but Dibley was admitted to the hospital with serious injuries, according to state police.