Teen rescued by inflatable raft and floated down West Virginia river after a vehicle went off a 70

by: AP

Posted: Aug 10, 2023 / 11:26 AM EDT

Updated: Aug 10, 2023 / 07:12 PM EDT

GREAT CACAPON, W.Va. (AP) — Authorities rescued an injured woman whose vehicle rolled down a steep embankment above a river in West Virginia on the Maryland border.

The 19-year-old woman was treated for undisclosed injuries at the scene Tuesday night before being placed in an inflatable raft and floated down the Cacapon River where a helicopter then flew her to a Baltimore hospital, Maryland State Police said in a news release.

The victim was trapped inside her vehicle after it went off a road and down a 70-foot (21-meter) embankment. The aerial rescue was necessary due to the steep terrain, the severity of her injuries and the car’s precarious position in the ravine, the statement said. A Maryland state police helicopter maneuvered 130 feet (40 meters) above while a paramedic was lowered to the scene and was assisted by rescue crews.